Life and Death with the Original Succubus
by April Rane
Summary: When you meet a woman who makes you forget you're engaged, it's unsettling. When the man draws you in for reasons you can't understand, love can follow.  So can sex and murder.  Rated for SLV Mike/Tanya, Canon, post BD
1. Life Sucks

_a/n Welcome to the first chapter of a story I'm actually trying something new with. I'm going to stick to my outline and see if it speeds up the project. My hypothesis is that it will. Characters who try to take on a mind of their own will be reeled back in and told their place. Hope you enjoy. There's not much Tanya and Mike out there, an idea I've toyed with for a while. Somebody else popped the Tanya/Mike cherry (if you haven't read _Mike's Hike_ yet, you need to—it's the bomb diggity), and I don't feel as threatened now. I'm not the only one thinking dirty thoughts._

_We begin in Forks in May 2012, 4 years after _Breaking Dawn._ Which isn't mine. None of the Twilight universe is. If it were mine, I would not be writing this story, working at Chili's, and barely making ends meet._

_Enjoy!_

**CHAPTER 1—LIFE SUCKS**

Just like every other day, the alarm went off at six in the morning. Just like every other day, Mike slammed his hand on the snooze button. Just like every other day, he slept for nine more minutes before waking up and starting the coffee pot on his way to shower. He drank his coffee, watched the news, until seven, when the other alarm went off.

It was just like every other day, he thought, while he poured coffee into another cup and took it back into the bedroom. He set it next to the alarm before turning and heading back to the living room. A few minutes later, his frizzy haired fiancée appeared in the doorway of the living room, a frown on her face.

"God, Mike, why the hell's the TV up so loud?"

Yep, just like every other day. No, "Good morning, baby, thanks for the coffee," no "I love you." Just her usual bitching. He wasn't sure why he'd asked her to marry him, but it made her happy. She bitched less when she was happy.

"Sorry, babe," he said, and just like every day, he bumped the volume down a notch to appease her. This made her happy, and she shut up. She shuffled into the kitchen, and he heard her making herself breakfast. Special K with blueberries, just like every other day.

Mike heaved a sigh and settled down deeper into the couch. He knew that he should be grateful, and he told himself so every day. He had an okay house, a good paying house with pretty good benefits, a family who loved him, and a fiancée who loved him. Yes, she could be a snob, and she stuck her nose in everybody's business, but she was a small town girl and it was what he expected of her. She was pretty, and alright in bed. A good settlement for him.

He felt a stab of jealousy when he glanced, like he did every day, to the mantle, where photos of their friends and family decorated the fireplace. One in particular always caught his eye.

It was after graduation, the night of the party at the Cullen house, a party which had become an urban legend in Forks. He had his arm wrapped around Jessica in the photo, and they were standing with their group of friends, including Edward and Bella. Everybody was smiling and happy, their futures wide open.

Ben and Angela had gotten married the summer after high school. It was the last time Mike had seen Bella. The Cullens left town the next day. Bella had seemed happy and healthy, and looked like maybe she'd gotten a little work done. Edward hadn't smiled at him once, but he didn't usually. They left before the reception, saying they had to get going. They'd moved to New Hampshire, and all but dropped off the face of the earth.

Almost everyone in the picture was gone now. Tyler had moved to Seattle for college and ended up staying. He worked as a graphic designer, dated everything hot with legs, smoked weed, and lived his life to the fullest. Lauren got married to some entrepreneur and lived life in the fast lane now, playing house in New York with her handsome husband and living the dream. Ben and Angela moved to Port Angeles, where Ben worked as a ferry driver. They had two kids already, and a third on the way. Eric had stayed in town, though, and worked in the local logging industry, dating some girl down in Hoquiam. Not that they ever hung out, really.

Mike spent most of his time at the store and at home. Jessica worked as a receptionist at the police department, a job she loved, because she was privy to a great deal of gossip. Gossip she thought he just _had_ to know.

The phone rang, jerking Mike out of his daze. He glanced at the clock to see that it was a quarter of seven, and he frowned, wondering who would call this early. He lifted it from the receiver and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mike? It's Tammy, at the station." Tammy, the only person who liked gossip as much as Jessica. She made him want to set himself on fire and run screaming into a gas pump. "Is Jess around?"

"Yeah. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Chief Swan called and he's not coming in today. He said Sue's really sick and he doesn't want to leave her on her own." He could _hear_ her urge to gossip. "I want to see if Jess can come in early and help me out—I'm swamped."

"Sure, she's right here." Mike waved Jessica over, and frowning, she took the receive. "It's Tammy," he said quietly. "Sounds like you might have to head in early."

He tuned Jessica out while she talked on the phone, turning his attention to the news again. He had fifteen more minutes until he had to start getting dressed.

He was going to spend those fifteen minutes imagining a life he could never have.

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"Come on, kiddo." Jacob Black's voice interrupted her thoughts from the seat in front of her. "Get that stuff packed up. We're landing soon."

"Why didn't mom and dad come with us?" Renesmee's voice was inquisitive. "How come they drove down early?"

Jacob cleared his throat, clearly trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't involve forcing the sex speech on her at the tender age of four. "They just wanted a little vacation. You know your mom—she likes her peace and quiet."

"Oh." Renesmee put her book and iPod back into the little carry-on bag she had with her. "I can be quiet, though."

"I know, kid," Jacob said, smiling. "But sometimes parents just like to be by themselves for a little while. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know."

Liar. It made Tanya smile a little.

"Why are we going back, anyway?" The girl never stopped asking questions. It was endearing, in a way. "We just saw grandpa last month."

Jacob glanced back at Tanya briefly before he answered. "Tanya's bored. We thought we'd show her what 'bored' really is." He winked at her, and she smiled a little.

For as much as she'd disliked Jacob Black when she first met him, she'd found him to be a good friend with a warm heart. He could have told Renesmee the full truth. The truth about Tanya's misery at being surrounded by so many happy couples, no matter where she went.

Edward, the mind reader, had offered her a little vacation. They would all head to Forks, far away from everyone else, and she would stay in the main house with Jacob and Renesmee, while Edward and Bella isolated themselves in their little cottage, just far enough from the house that she wouldn't hear their happy love making. She'd jumped on it.

That didn't make the truth any nicer, and she was grateful that Jacob had only told Renesmee a sliver of it.

The plane touched down, and it was cloudy outside, just as Alice had promised. Tanya reached for her carry-on and exited after Jacob and Renesmee. When they arrived at the baggage claim, Renesmee broke away to race into her father's arms. Edward straightened up from where he'd been leaning against a wall, beaming from ear to ear as his little girl chattered on about the plane ride, and how mature she was for being able to do it without her parents.

The moment made Tanya's heart wrench a little, and she turned away on the pretense of finding her luggage.

The ride home didn't help things much. The atmosphere of family in the car didn't often include Tanya. She saw Edward glance in the rearview mirror, frowning from behind his sunglasses. She knew the look. It was one she'd received often in previous months, since her funk had kicked off when Garrett and Kate had finally made it official, marrying at a courthouse in Anchorage.

_I'm fine,_ she thought. Then, _Well, not _fine_ exactly, but I've been worse. Thanks for the "get out of jail free" card._

He smiled and turned his attention to the road again.

Bella was twisted around in her seat talking to her daughter. When the conversation seemed to be wrapping up, she turned her attention to Tanya. "So are you excited to see Forks?" she asked, grinning. "You're going to be bored out of your mind."

"That's what I've been told," Tanya said, leaning back a little. "It's got to be better than…" She trailed off and looked down at her folded hands. "Well, it'll be a nice change. Quieter, you know."

Renesmee looked back at Tanya. "Am I too loud?" she asked, looking worried.

Tanya laughed. "No, darling," she said, reaching forward to tousle her baby cousin's hair. "You're perfect. Your cousins on the other hand…"

"I know," Renesmee said, nodding seriously. "They are _really_ loud sometimes. It's unreasonable."

Edward snorted, no doubt at his daughter calling her rowdy cousins "unreasonable" at age four. It was true, though. Garrett and Eleazar could give Emmett and Jasper a run for their money when they wanted. And when they were with their wives, things tended to get a little… raucous.

The only thing worse than hearing her sisters and their husbands _really_ going at it like animals was hearing the quiet whispers, gasps, and moans that accompanied their love making. The sweet nothings, the quiet pleading, the words of love that she had _never_ had anyone say to her, and mean it. To say I love you was a different thing than to feel I love you, and she knew it all too well.

She wanted it more than ever now, since she was the only single one in the family left. It was miserable, really. It was unbearable. And it was why she was escaping for a while.

When the big SUV pulled in to the garage of the big glass house at a little after nine in the morning, Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some peace and quiet. The only thing better would be…

"Hey, isn't there a camping store in this town?" she asked suddenly.

"Newton's Olympic Outfitters," Bella said. "Why?"

Tanya shrugged. "I think it'd be fun to try camping."

Bella nodded and smiled sympathetically at her. "I think you'd like it. It's very quiet." She picked up her suitcase. "We're going to go dump our stuff at the cottage, then we're all going to Charlie's. You're welcome to come with."

Tanya knew what she meant. _You're welcome to come with, but we'll understand if you don't want to._ She forced a smile. "I think I'll just hang out here, if that's alright with you."

"That's fine," Bella said, and in a flash, she was off running to the cottage.

Two hours later, Tanya was bored out of her mind. They hadn't been kidding when they'd said there was nothing to do in Forks. Camping crossed her mind again, though, and thinking she might have a little fun and do some shopping, she headed out to the garage and started up Edward's old Volvo.

Newton's Olympic Outfitters couldn't be _that_ hard to find.

_a/n Okay. So far, so good. I haven't deviated from my outline yet._

_Review and let me know what you think. This thing's going places._


	2. Hungry Eyes

_a/n These first few chapters are probably going to be a little shorter. They'll get longer. And sexier. If I stick to the plan… Must stick to plan, must stick to plan!_

**CHAPTER 2—HUNGRY EYES **

It was raining. Not a big surprise. As Mike watched Isaac mop the floor, he heaved a sigh and hopped up onto the counter at the front of the store. Not like anyone was coming in. Business had been slow for the past few weeks. He knew in about a week or two they'd be booming, with students out of school and wanting to take their exciting summer vacations, families wanting to bond…

What a shitty day. He hadn't, of course, managed to get out of the house without fighting with Jessica. She'd insisted that he could _not_ wear those pants with that shirt. He insisted that he didn't really give a shit. She insisted that he looked like an idiot. He shouted that he didn't care, because he was the manager.

Then he'd stepped into a puddle on his way to his car and had to change his pants regardless. She'd been smug and he'd flipped her the bird on his way to his car.

Why _had_ he asked her to marry him, seriously? How many times had they broken up?

He remembered the first time they'd broken up. High school. Junior year. Right before Christmas, when Bella was still in her funk…

Why did everything still relate to her? She was married with a kid, and going to Dartmouth. They'd gone out one time, and that barely counted as anything. Jacob Black had gone with them, and he'd puked in the back of the dude's car.

Seriously. Time to heave-ho and move on. He was engaged, for Christ's sake!

The door dinged and Mike hopped down from the counter. He didn't see where the new patron had gone. Hell, maybe they saw the shoes he was wearing, that also apparently didn't match, and ran away.

He heard very quiet footsteps slowly meandering down an aisle, and he followed them. When he located the owner, he almost turned chickenshit and ran off.

She was fucking hot as shit. And the only thing he could see was her back. Her long legs were clad in designer jeans, and she wore a tight fitting purple t-shirt. Her strawberry blonde hair was up in a pony tail. She stood staring up at a shelf with her head cocked slightly to one side, a hand on a popped hip. Long legs flowed smoothly into her nicely rounded ass, but she was still slender at the waist, and overall, even with the curves. He stared at her ass for longer than necessary, feeling a stirring down below that he tried to reign in as he cleared his throat.

She turned around, and he almost ran off again. Her face was the perfect face to accompany her smoking body. She had dark eyes set into her flawless, pale face. Her face, which was one that would make any supermodel in the world jealous. Her ears were perfectly proportioned to her nose and mouth. A few curly wisps of hair had fallen out and while he had a feeling this woman would describe herself, at the moment, as looking like shit, she was still the most beautiful figure he'd ever seen.

"Hi," Mike said, feeling lame. "So, uh, I see you're looking at some of our tents."

"Yes." Her voice was like tinkling laughter, and held a hint of an accent he couldn't identify. "I suppose you work here?"

"Uh, yeah." So, _so_ fucking lame! "I'm the manager."

"Oh," she said, and she swung her hips slightly as she switched hands. "Really?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, trying to sound smarter than he really was. "My name's Mike."

"Mike Newton," she said, smiling. There was a hint of irony in her voice he could not understand. Maybe he'd imagined it.

"You know me?" he asked, hopeful. She looked familiar, for sure. He just couldn't place her.

She looked a little embarrassed. "I just assumed, from the store name," she said, shrugging slightly. "Small towns, family businesses…" She trailed off. What _was_ that accent? It was hot.

"Yeah," he said, smiling what he hoped was his famous award winning smile. "I'm Mike Newton. It's nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand, hoping she'd return the gesture.

She smiled warmly. God, she was so stunning. _Stunning?_ Hell of a word choice. "My name is Tanya."

"Is there a last name to go with that?" _Fuck._ Why did he care? "I just noticed your little accent. I was hoping I could figure you out." Great. Now he sounded like a creep.

To his surprise, she threw back her head and laughed. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever witnessed. It was like hearing bells, and her smile lit up her face like rays of sunshine and…

Seriously. What. The. _Fuck._

"Petrov," she said, finally, still laughing a little. "It's Russian."

"Ah." Mike snapped his fingers like he'd known it all along. Russian. Sexy. _You have a girlfriend. Fiancée. Fuck! _"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Tanya Petrov."

She reached out to shake the hand that had started to slump a little. "It's very nice to meet you, Mike Newton."

The most amazing feeling of electricity and static and cold ice jolted through him when she took his hand. It went from his fingertips up his arm to his brain, down his spinal chord, and into his toes. He felt his groin shifting again, but he didn't even really register it that much. He was too focused on the electrical impulses shooting up his arm. It felt too hot, almost. Her hand was so cold…

Barely three seconds had passed before she let go, blinking. It seemed unnatural, somehow, those two or three blinks.

"So, Mike," she said, smiling as she threw her hands out to her sides. "I've never been camping, and I have no idea what I'm doing."

Finally, camping equipment—something he knew no matter how weird his brain felt.

"Well, Tanya," he said, giving her his best smile again, "you're talking to the right guy."

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Two hours later, Tanya pulled into the Cullen's driveway and pulled to a stop. She let the engine idle for a moment, just starring, a little slack jawed, at the garage door.

The tap on her window actually made her jump. She couldn't see the face, just the body, but she knew who it was. She shut off the car and opened the door. Jacob stepped out of her way, raising his eyebrows as he caught a glimpse of the backseat.

"Jesus, Tanya," he said, letting out a low whistle. "What did you do?"

Tanya stared with him, not comprehending what had just happened. "I don't know," she said slowly. "I spent five thousand dollars on camping gear, though."

"Did they give you some kind of plaque?" he asked. "You're probably Newton's customer of the week."

If she could have blushed, she would have. The looks Mike Newton had given her were almost sinful—like he could see through her clothes and was staring at her naked body. She'd felt so suddenly self-conscious, a feeling with which she was not at all comfortable or familiar. She had gone shy and bashful, and he'd gone all charming with his gleaming white smile.

She'd screwed up by blurting out his last name. Of course, he didn't remember her. He'd been at the wedding with some girl. Plain, frizzy black hair, annoying voice. She wondered idly if they were still together. If they were happy…

"Yoo-hoo!" Jacob was waving his big hand in her face. "Tanya!"

She blinked. What was _with_ her today? He had to think she was hotter than that dumb…

"Tanya!" It was Renesmee this time. "Are you okay?" The little girl took her hand and played back Tanya's dreamy face. _Dreamy?_

"I'm fine, doll," Tanya said, smiling falsely. "Did you have a good day today?"

"Daddy taught me how to play rummy," she said. "It's really easy, and it's really fun. But only if Mom plays. Otherwise, Daddy gets to cheat and knows what cards I have."

"Come on, kid," Jacob said, and he hoisted Renesmee up onto his back. He smiled at Tanya. "We're gonna go pick on Billy for a while."

"See you later." At a slow, human pace, Tanya made her way back into the grand house.

Back inside, Edward was already chuckling at her. "And what are _you_ going to do with five grand worth of camping gear, may I ask?"

"I don't know," she groaned.

Bella stopped flipping pages in her lingerie catalogue. "You bought five thousand dollars worth of camping gear?" she asked in shock. She paused, then shrugged and looked back in her catalogue. "You probably made Mrs. Newton's day."

"Oh, Mrs. Newton wasn't in today," Edward said casually, making his way to his piano and sitting down. "Mike was working. He's the manager now." He smirked at Tanya.

"Well, in that case," Bella said, not glancing up, "you probably made his month. Hell, maybe even his year." She leaned her head back to look at Edward. "Is he still with Jessica?"

"No idea." Edward started playing soothing Rachmaninov, and Tanya smiled, knowing it was his way of saying, _No hard feelings. Here's a song I know you like._

"Well, if so, he's definitely a happy camper now."

Tanya wanted a subject change. Now. This topic was not one she cared to discuss.

_Please, _please_, change the subject. Anything._

Edward quirked an eyebrow. "Do you remember when the Rachmaninov concert in '32?"

_Thank you._ She smiled, glad for something else to think about. "The one in Chicago?" She walked across the living room to sit on the arm of Bella's chair and look over her shoulder. "That was the night I ran into Carlisle outside before and met you all. Rachmaninov played the second piano concerto."

"Your favorite." Edward laughed. "It doesn't help that Eric Carmen brought it back and that _Dirty Dancing_ wound up being one of your favorite movies."

"Hey," she said defensively, "Eric Carmen is a musical genius, and that was my favorite Rachmaninov concert ever. I would have cried if I could have. He was so fantastic. And don't act like you weren't impressed." She snorted and he ignored her. "You went home and practiced for a month solid. Didn't even hunt. You wanted to be Vladimir Horowitz." Tanya sighed dramatically. "That's when I knew that you would always choose your music over me, and that I could never be with an artist. Thought I'd give it a shot, anyway."

"Of course," Edward said, rolling his eyes.

Bella looked up, eyes suddenly wide. "You actually saw Rachmaninov play?"

"You have to remember, Bella," Edward said, not stopping his hands, "the man had a family to support, and composers don't always make a lot of money. He had to play concerts to get paid more." He smiled. "It certainly didn't hurt that the man had the biggest hands most people had ever seen. He could play insanely well."

"Wow." Bella turned back to her catalogue. "It just still blows my mind that you guys were around back then."

"You forget, darling," Tanya said, smiling, "I'm ancient compared to your entire family." A blue lingerie set caught her eye then, and she pointed to it. "Oh, that would look lovely on you."

"I was looking at the same one," Bella said, nodding. Out of the corner of her eye, Tanya saw Edward glance over and scowl. She giggled.

_Can you hear me?_

Nothing. Bella's shield was up.

"I like that one, too," Tanya said nonchalantly, pointing to a piece that was less of bra and panty set than a few scraps of lace that barely covered anything. "Red is always a good color for a brunette."

"You think?" Bella grinned devilishly, and Edward growled.

"Not fair," he muttered.

"What, baby, don't you want to be surprised when I come out of the closet in something that barely covers my—oomph!"

Tanya barely had time to jump out of his way before Edward tackled Bella, and the chair in which she sat. Bella squealed with laughter as he threw her over his shoulder and raced out the front door. She heard their laughter for several seconds before it faded.

Suddenly alone, Tanya heaved a sigh. It was too quiet. She was happy not to be hearing whatever it was that they were up to, but still…

After she straightened the chair, Tanya picked up the lingerie catalogue and started flipping through it again, trying to find something she liked on her. Maybe something she could be wearing under that little black dress she'd brought along, something she could wear in a bar in Seattle that would tease a man just enough…

She closed her eyes, imagining the warmth of a man's skin on hers, but opened them again when the baby face with the blue eyes and blonde hair came into focus again.

Making her way to the computer, Tanya decided that camping gear wasn't going to satisfy her need for retail therapy, and started shopping.

_a/n I need reviews, so spread the word if you like this! Nobody knows these stories exist—trust me, because they don't! There's seriously very little (good) Tanya/Mike out there. It's the perfect pairing. Seriously. You will see. I promise._

_I'm finding as I go that I have a lot to work with, in that there's just enough Tanya in the books to profile her, but enough missing to make some fun gaps to fill. Hope you like her._

_REVIEW!_


	3. Anybody Home?

_a/n This Mike is a bitter, angry boy. He's also not getting laid. Yet… Also, he's described by Bella repeatedly as being good looking. And let's remember how Edward felt about pre-vamp Bella, who a lot of people just think was "pretty." Psh. Pretty, my butt. _

_Pt. 2: I am now halfway through. I put a little more water on the sauna than I meant to, so please excuse the steaminess ahead… Don't like, you wanna read it… Sinner._

**CHAPTER 3—ANYBODY HOME? **

Weekends were no longer something to look forward to, to Mike. Weekends used to be time to party, kick back, and relax. Weekends used to make him excited and get him through the week.

Now, weekends were two days full of Jessica, gossip, Jessica, cleaning, Jessica, Jessica's shallow friends, and more gossip. He never got to have anyone over—not that he had that many friends that lived around here anymore. Still, having Tyler down for the weekend would be an ordeal for Jessica. After all, if he had one friend down one time for one weekend, where would she and her friends have their estrogen-fest on Friday nights? Where would they meet up before going out for "ladies night" on Saturdays? Having Tyler over was just _out_ of the question! How could he be so stupid?

Oh, wait. Jessica would say that. Fuck the fact that he bought this house, that he paid the majority of the bills. Where all her money went, he wasn't sure. Probably into high quality liquor so everyone would think she was loaded, which wasn't true—his parents were loaded.

Jesus. At 23, he was turning into an old man. Where were the crazy nights with Tyler full of pussy?

When was the last time he'd had sex, period?

He wondered where that blonde had gone to, if she was still in town. Maybe a weekend fling would get this whole mess out of his system. He just had to remember where he'd seen her before…

"Mike, didn't you hear me?" Jessica's shrill voice cut into his thoughts.

"I wasn't listening," he said, blinking and flipping the channel.

"I was watching that," she whined.

"I pay the fucking cable bill," he muttered, not changing it. "You were saying?"

She scowled at him. "I said, I saw a Mercedes outside Charlie Swan's house."

Mike stared at her. "And?"

"It looked expensive."

"Seriously, Jessica…"

"Well, I just don't ever see anybody's cars over there that look like the actually cost a lot of money," she said, and her voice was full of implication. "So…"

"So… what?"

"So I was thinking Bella and Edward must be in town," she said, talking hurriedly. "You know Charlie Swan doesn't make enough to go out and buy a _brand new_ Mercedes. I mean, it still had the dealer plates on it! And they were from New Hampshire."

"You got close enough to see that they were temp plates from New Hampshire?" Mike asked scaldingly. "Why didn't you just go up to the door and knock? Be like, 'Hey, Chief Swan, I was just snooping around that car out front and I was wondering if your daughter, who I totally hate, by the way, and her husband, who I would like to fuck ten ways before Sunday, are here?' And no, I have no idea how much Chief Swan makes, because I don't go digging into everyone else's business like _some_ people do."

Jessica's mouth was hanging open. "God, Mike, you don't have to be so crude." She huffed and took the remote right out of his hand and changed it back to the stupid style show she'd been watching.

Ah, March. March was the last time he'd had sex. So… two months? Almost two and a half. Shit. No wonder he was so grouchy. If Jessica wasn't being such a bitch today, he'd try to get into her pants right here. Sex with Jessica wasn't nearly as much fun as it used to be…

_Two months before…_

_Routine sex, that what this was. Get in, get out. Jessica's moans filled the room as she arched her back, running her hands all over him._

_Why wasn't this sexy to him? He had his dick in her pussy, and he was hard, so why did this just feel like almost nothing to him?_

_They'd been going at it for an hour, and he still hadn't come. Her face was scrunched up in an expression that might be pleasure, but he was pretty sure she was faking it as much as he was._

"_Oh, yeah, yeah, right there, baby, yeah."_

_I want you, I need you, oh baby, oh baby. With enthusiasm, please._

_He couldn't do this. Unable to look at her face without feeling kind of annoyed, he pulled himself out of her and rolled her over. "Let's try it like this."_

"_But I don't like it like this," she whined. She fucking _whined_ during sex, of all times. Whatever. It was just how she was._

"_You have such a nice ass, baby," he muttered, and it was true. Since high school, she'd filled out quite a bit and had more curves and a bigger butt than before. "I wanna watch it."_

_Happy to be complimented, she stuck her ass out as she kneeled on her hands and knees. This way, not looking at the orgasmic face he was sure was faked, he was able to finish. He imagined he was fucking some hot supermodel instead of her and finally came, grunting and groaning._

_Afterward, she told him the sounds he made during sex weirded her out._

They hadn't had sex since. And they weren't even married yet.

Yet.

He groaned.

"What's the matter?" she asked, not really looking up from the TV.

"Nothing," he said. "Just…thinking about all the stuff we have to get done before the wedding."

"Oh, my God, don't even get me started." _And, she's off…_

Weddings weren't even something he enjoyed. Hell, the only two weddings he'd been to, he'd been to with Jessica, and both times, he had his eye set elsewhere. At Ben and Angela's wedding, it had been that hot bridesmaid he'd fucked in the bathroom during the reception. At Bella and Edward's wedding…

Hold the fucking phone.

The blonde. _Tanya._

He hadn't known her name, because he'd been too nervous to introduce herself. He couldn't place her, because he couldn't imagine what she'd look like in regular clothes, as opposed to the designer dress she'd worn to the wedding. He'd also not heard her voice over the crowd.

But he remembered her laugh.

It was like music, like high, tinkling bells. Almost childlike.

There was only one place she could be.

He had no excuse. He could think of one, though. The drive out would give him just enough time. He just had to be confident, sure of himself, as winning as he could be. Hell, he was a salesman—he could sell this shit.

Making an excuse to Jessica was easy. He'd forgotten something at work. Had to take care of it now. She didn't even look like she cared that much.

He started the car and peeled out of the wet driveway, trying to remember how to get out to the Cullen's house.

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The hot water that bubbled around her felt amazing. With most of the family no longer living here, Tanya had been given free reign over where she wanted to put her stuff. Her things had gone in Carlisle and Esme's suite, since they had the biggest bathroom, and now, she was quiet glad for that decision.

The Jacuzzi, an unneeded item for a vampire, was nevertheless a luxury Tanya really needed to think about purchasing. The hot water bubbled around her while she rested her head on a rolled towel.

The house was quiet today, empty while the other occupants were out doing other things. Edward and Bella had taken Renesmee on a family hunting trip, just the three of them. Jacob had decided to use the opportunity to visit his family and old friends in La Push. Tanya had politely declined to join Edward and Bella so that they could enjoy time with just their little family, and had quickly found herself alone in the big house. The opportunity to relax in peace and quiet with no loud sex noises coming from other rooms was irresistible. Not that it wouldn't be nice if she didn't have someone in here with her. Just her and a man…

Her hands wandered before she'd even registered it, and she smiled coyly to herself as she fantasized.

_The tub was warm, the jets lightly tickling her toes and legs as she leaned against the warm body of the man behind her. His pale arms were wrapped loosely over her thighs, hidden beneath the torrents of water. Her eyes were closed as she just felt…_

_His lips were teasing her ear, nipping at the soft skin where it met her neck, tugging occasionally. They made their way back, and she let her head fall forward so that he could brush his lips across the back of her neck. He exhaled sharply, his breath soft and warm, and his fingers tightened a little against her skin. She reached her hands behind her to entangle them in his damp hair, feeling him chuckle a little at her eagerness._

_She shifted in his lap, brushing against him, and loving when he moaned in exquisite torture at her actions. His hands shifted to wrap around her waist and turn her in his lap. She spun on top of him, throwing her head back and laughing in delight. He trailed goofy kisses up and down her neck, to her breasts, and back to her ears before placing one, final loving peck on the very tip of her nose._

_She opened her eyes, and smiled into his baby face, mussing the blonde hair one more time, before gazing into his golden eyes…_

With exceptional hearing and sense of smell, Tanya was seldom startled. The doorbell that rang, sounding loudly in the hall, made her jump and sent water splashing everywhere.

If she were human, she would have been flushed from a combination of pleasure and confusion, not quiet sure what it was she'd been thinking of…

Well, maybe not _what_ as much as _why_.

Quickly throwing on a bathrobe, Tanya forced herself to make it downstairs at a human pace. She threw a glance out the front window, not recognizing the car there—a newer, sexy, black and gray Ford Mustang.

She tightened her robe, not wanting to give some random guy a show, and pulled it open to find Mike Newton's smiling face peering out from under a hoodie.

"Hey, remember me?" He grinned boyishly at her. "Mike Newton? From the camping store?" His smile seemed to fall just a little, but maybe it was just a mistake on her part…

It took a moment for her to answer. "Uh, yes," she said slowly, a little lamely. "I remember you." She forced a bright smile on her face. "How are you?" Why was she so nervous?

"I'm quite well," he said, grinning again and sticking his hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt. "I was just out and about and happened to think I probably ought to stop by and check if you got everything unloaded alright, if you need any help with any of it…" He quirked an eyebrow. God, he was so cute, and still, very sexy. It was unsettling.

He'd asked a question.

No, she had a question.

"How did you know where to find me?" she blurted. "I mean, my credit card address doesn't go here, and I don't know how you could have gotten a hold of this address. It doesn't link to anything…" She trailed off, blinked, and shook her head. "So, how did you know where I was?" She tried to sound superior and nonplussed. It didn't sound so convincing to her.

"I just assumed you'd stay at your relatives house," he said, "and I recognized the car." Of course he did. There was nobody in this town, and he'd probably seen the silver Volvo every day for years. "That thing still runs?"

"That thing's going to run to the ground," she said, shaking her head. Then she registered what he'd said before that, and her mouth got away from her again. "You recognized me?"

Mike rolled his eyes and laughed softly, scuffing his feet a bit on the porch and looking down before gazing at her through his lashes. "Every hot blooded guy in _town_ remembers you," he said. It was a loaded statement, and his eyes slid down to where the lapel of her robe revealed a bit of cleavage.

She giggled. What the fuck? Was she suddenly a little child, giggling at the silly boy? "I remember you," she said, smiling. "You caught the garter."

Mike laughed. "Yeah, I forgot about that." He cocked his head and his baby face took on an inquisitive look. "So, you never answered my question."

"Sorry?"

"I asked you a question." His blue eyes twinkled with merriment, and he shifted to lean against the doorframe, his warm body closer to hers by half a foot. "Remember?" His eyes stared straight into hers, boggling her mind a little bit.

Damn it. "Oh, the camping equipment!" she said, remembering. "No, I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet." She smiled, a little shy all of a sudden. "I don't have anyone to go with me."

He scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "A knock-out like you? You'll have no problem fixing that." His eyes raked over her again, in a way that made her a little anxious.

She knew he was attracted to her—most men were. But most men stumbled over their words and fumbled when they moved. Not this man. He was so confident, so brazen. His blue eyes were filled with lust as they settled once more on the lapel of her bathrobe.

Oh, Jesus, did the mortification never stop? Maybe he wouldn't say anything.

"I like your robe, by the way," he said, and when she buried her face in her hands in mortification, he burst out laughing. He had such an amazing laugh. She wanted to hear it again, be the cause of it. Just maybe in a different way. "No, it's fine," he said, still laughing. "Calvin Klein, right?" He didn't wait for her answer. "Dude knows how to make a bathrobe."

"Uh, yeah," she said. "I was taking a bath." Thank God for not being able to blush. If she could, she'd be purple. She didn't mention what she'd been doing in the bath, or who she'd been thinking of…

"Well, I'll just let you get back to that," he said, and he smiled again. He seemed a little hesitant as he turned around and started toward the stairs. Then suddenly, he spun around. His eyes were burning. "You wanna go out sometime?" he asked. "I could show you around Port Angeles, we could grab a bite to eat, maybe see a movie."

"Oh, um…" What was she supposed to say? "I'd love to, Mike, but I'm a vampire and I don't eat," probably wouldn't go over too well. She should probably say no.

Instead, her mouth opened before she could stop it. "I'd love to see a movie with you sometime. No dinner, though," she said, then quickly added, "I don't eat in front of men I've just met," and giggled nervously. Not unless the man was a vampire, anyway.

"Great!" He reached around and pulled out his wallet. "Here's my card," he said, handing it off to her as if he did this all the time. "Give me a call, and if you don't," he grinned, "I know where you're staying."

"Next Friday?" She didn't even glance at the card. He blinked. She rejoiced a little inside that she'd thrown him off for a second, and resolved to see if she could do it again. "You could pick me up at eight. And would you mind driving?" She flashed him her sexiest smile. "I don't want to be seen around in the 'old man' car anymore than I have to."

"No problem," he said, and he grinned again. This smile was a little different—more excited than sexy, or cute, or pants dropping… "I'll pick you up here at eight."

"Thanks, darling," she said, and smiled.

They stood in silence, just staring each other down, and just as she was about to say something, he got in the last jab. "I really do like the robe. You'll have to model it again for me sometime." He winked and turned to go.

_Oh, you little bastard._ "I like your pants," she threw back. "They make your ass look hot as shit." _Oh, hello, Tanya, where the _hell_ have you been?_

He tripped a little, and she laughed. He waved. "I'm fine." When he got to his car, he turned around and gave her another of his melting stares, the kind that made her feel like he was imagining her taking off her robe right now. "See you Friday."

Before he took off, she slid back inside and slammed the door, as enraged as she was aroused. _Nobody_ turned her into a babbling idiot that couldn't even remember a simple question.

Pouting, she made her way back upstairs and sunk back under the water, trying to decide what to wear on Friday. This man required some planning…

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The panic didn't really set in until he reached the long drive. Away from the view of the imposing house, he slammed on the brakes and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialed the number he needed and waited, rolling his eyes when the ringback, "Get Low," blared from the tiny speaker.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Tyler's voice was a little surprised. "Haven't heard from you lately. How goes almost marital bliss?"

"Dude, I'm freaking out." He looked at his hands, gripping the steering wheel to stop from shaking."

"Okay," Tyler said slowly, "what's going on?"

Mike told him about what had just happened, how he'd strutted up to the house like he owned the place and chatted to a woman he barely knew. How he'd felt more confident as she stuttered and tried to keep her composure, all the time looking a little stunned, and nervous. How, in a moment of sheer stupidity and absolute genius, he'd asked her out. How she'd accepted, and actually looked kind of excited. How she'd suddenly fired back, once his eyes weren't on her anymore, the ass reference, and how he'd left her, still a little slack jawed, on the Cullen's porch. 

How beautiful she was, and how amazing her smile was, and how he wasn't sure he'd ever felt so compelled to go after a woman as he had with this one. How scared he was.

"So, I'm going to say the thing you're not supposed to say, but I'm going to say it because you need to hear it," Tyler said.

"Okay."

"You're not married," Tyler said quietly, then he sped up and started getting louder. "I mean, I know it's a dick thing to say, but you're not. Legally, there's nothing she can do. You own the house, all the furniture, everything. And maybe nothing'll happen, but I gotta tell you, man, you haven't been the same since you guys got engaged." His voice was a little bitter, now. "I mean, we used to fucking _hang_ on the weekends, dude. You guys would go through one of your little spats and we'd go hang and have a fucking bomb, man. You swore up and down you didn't want to get tied down yet, and then all of a sudden you're fucking engaged?" He snorted, and Mike started to realize how much of this was true. It was true, and it was really depressing. "She's a fucking bitch, man, always has been and always will be. You wanna marry a bitch and be miserable 'til you divorce her and she gets half your shit, you go on ahead. But dude," he said, and he laughed, "I remember that chick. She was _hot_. And if a hot chick who seems to like you agrees to go out with you, and your gut says to do it, do it. Go forth and find yourself again, Padawan." He paused. "I'm starting to sound like a queer."

Mike rolled his eyes, but took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Seriously, man, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But you can't marry her." Tyler's voice was gruff. "She's not good for you."

"Alright." Mike shook his free hand a little to relax it from its fist. "And Tyler? This conversation never happened."

"Hell, no, dude," Tyler laughed. "I'd like people to think I have a dick."

Mike laughed, said goodbye, and hung up. Putting the phone away, he pulled back onto the road, resolved, trying to think of a good excuse to get him out of the house next week.

_a/n Isn't it funny how people make you act like an idiot sometimes? Interesting…_

_Reviews make me happy. Join dazzelglo in the review pool. Come on in, kids, the water's nice…_

_Join me next time, when Tanya and Mike go on their trip. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Jessica…_


	4. Stunning

_a/n Just a heads up, friends, I'm going to be moving toward the end of the month, so if I drop off the face of the planet for a while, I'll be back._

_Enjoy part 1 of date night! Then after, think about reviewing...  
_

**CHAPTER 4—STUNNING**

The date with Tanya turned out to be easier to set up than Mike had anticipated. Friday after work, Mike had headed home to find Jessica cleaning and getting things ready for her friends to come over. She'd made it clear that he was to be nowhere near the living room while they were there, and he'd bitten his tongue to stop from saying that it was his damn house, and he'd sit wherever the hell he wanted.

Instead, he'd given her an easy lie—he wasn't going to be home tonight, as he was going to Seattle to hang with Tyler and some of his friends. She'd commented that he looked nice when he left at six, two hours early, but needing to leave so it really looked like he was going to Seattle.

Deciding he needed to kill some time, he drove around for a while, ran a few errands. He even went to the Safeway to pick up condoms, just in case. He _had_ told Jessica that he might not be back tonight. Still, he wasn't sure if he'd be ready to sleep with Tanya after just one date.

And he was already certain this wasn't going to be a one time thing.

Wednesday afternoon, when the store was slow, she'd stopped in to visit. It was a rare sunny afternoon, and when someone pulled up on a motorcycle, he hadn't thought too much about it. Then she'd walked into the store, helmet under her arm, and his heart had almost stopped. She was dressed in leather from head to toe—black leather pants, black leather boots with buckles, black leather jacket. The only non-leather he could spot was the tiny white t-shirt she wore under the jacket. She smiled at him as she pulled off her gloves and set her helmet on the counter.

"You don't have my cell number," she said bluntly, smiling up at him as she leaned on her arms.

"No, I don't." He set down the box of fishing tackle he was holding and stepped to stand in front of her. "But you have mine. Didn't feel like picking up the phone?"

"Oh, I was bored," she said, her eyes drilling into his. "Felt like taking the bike for a spin. It's a nice day."

"Yeah," he said. "Your bike, or theirs?"

"Theirs," she said, laughing. "I live in Alaska. Really horrible place for motorcycles most of the year."

Alaska. Damn. "Well, lucky me," he said, grinning. "I'm not gonna lie—that outfit's hot as hell."

She laughed at his brazenness, and there was a little nervousness in the sound. "Thanks," she said. "So anyway, I can't stay—I just wanted to give you this." She slid a piece of paper across the counter, and he unfolded it to find a phone number and her name.

"It's not fake, is it?" He didn't think she'd do that, but it had happened before to friends of his with super hot chicks. "I mean, I don't think my poor heart can take it if you gave me a fake number." He put a hand over his heart and pretended to be in pain for a moment.

"No," she said, and she laughed again. It was such a beautiful sound. "I promise. Otherwise, how will I ever find a camping buddy?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Online?"

The fact that he'd answered seemed to throw her, and her mouth hung open a little. "Uh, yeah." She gestured toward the door. "I'm going to, uh… I'm just gonna go, so I'll see you Friday?"

"Sure thing," he said. He couldn't resist one more little jab at her. "That accent of yours is a lot stronger when you're flustered, you know?"

Her only response was to put her helmet and gloves on and walk out the front door. He threw his head back and laughed hysterically, still not quite able to believe that he'd just done that. It felt unreal.

And yet now, he didn't have the balls to show up a little early. But still, at this point, he had nothing to lose. She lived in Alaska. What was the worst she could do, go home?

His fingers paused as they dialed, and the thought sunk a little deeper. If this worked out, what would he do with she _did_ go home? Long distance? Try to open a store in Alaska? Actually, that wasn't a half bad idea…

He pushed send and waited anxiously. At this point, he was 45 minutes early…

"Hello?" Tanya's musical voice answered.

"Hey, Tanya, it's Mike Newton," he said, trying again to sound braver than he felt. It was getting easier, and she really seemed to go for it. Something about her made him feel just brave enough…

"Oh, hey, Mike!" She sounded a little surprised, but not by much. "What's up?"

"Oh, I was just bored," he said, laughing. "Thought I'd see if you want to head out a little early, maybe go for a little walk around the boardwalk before it gets pitch black."

"Hold on." He heard her cover the speaker and say softly, "Am I all done?"

"Yep." There was another woman with her. Great. Probably some friend she had around for support—he didn't recognize the voice. "You're gorgeous!"

Jesus, gorgeous? How much hotter could she get?

"Hey, Mike?"

"Yeah, I'm still here." He blinked a little as he turned onto the road that would lead him out to the Cullen's house.

"I'm ready whenever!"

"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes."

A few very anxious minutes later, Mike came through the woods to the big white house. There were no cars in the driveway, so he assumed everyone was in for the night. Perfect. The last thing he wanted to see right now was Edward Cullen's handsome face right before he took his superhot cousin on a date.

When the door opened, though, it was not Edward, or even Bella, who greeted him. It was a girl, maybe around twelve or thirteen years old, with coppery hair and dark brown eyes. She looked inquisitively up at him. "Are you Mike Newton?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah." Unsettling. She was really familiar, but he was sure he'd never seen her before.

The girl grinned lopsidedly. "I know you. You went to high school with my aunt and uncle."

"Huh?" Her aunt and uncle…

"Bella and Edward Cullen," she said, by way of explanation.

"Oh," he said slowly. So _that's_ why she was familiar. She looked like a mini, female version of Edward. Same hair, same skin tone and complexion, same grin. He smiled at her, and told her as much.

She laughed. "People say that all the time," she said. "They think we're brother and sister sometimes, because I'm so mature already."

"Ah." Yes, definitely a teenager. "So how old were you when they adopted you?" he asked.

"I was eight," she said, scrunching her nose, "but I was a really tiny kid. I just shot up, like, two feet in the last year!"

"Cool," Mike said, nodding. "They around?"

"No," she said, grimacing. "He took her out to hear the Seattle symphony and then they were going to dinner."

Great. Even not around, the smug bastard _still_ managed to show him up.

Then he heard her voice from the top of the stairs.

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"Oh, my God, he's on his way, you have to get out!" Tanya shrieked, running down the stairs.

She looked like a hellion, huge curlers in her hair, waving a hairbrush, and eyes flashing like gold chrome. She could tell by the look of shock Bella gave her that this was as unexpected as it was comically frightening.

"Okay," Bella said slowly, and she put down her catalogue. "I'll be at the house with Edward."

"Have fun," Tanya said, waving her hands. "Now, go! He's had plenty of time to set a mood over there, you need to get hopping!"

Bella laughed. "You mean, get out of your way so you can raise hell?"

"Go!"

Renesmee came barreling around the corner just then, and pounced on her back. "Don't move," she growled, and as quick as a flash of lighting, she removed the curlers and tousled Tanya's hair.

It was still curly.

"What the hell did that do?"

"Separate and soften," Renesmee said, grinning. "Less tight curls, more loose."

"I look like a nut."

"No, Tanya," Bella said slowly, surveying her formal rival up and down. "You look really hot."

She wore a purple dress with black pumps, which was probably _way_ overdressed, but at the moment, she couldn't really care. Light makeup brought her features down a notch, making her look a little more human. Her lips wore nothing, naturally pink and plumped. She knew she looked good.

But did she look good enough?

Bella winked, and was out the door a second later.

Three minutes and forty-seven seconds later, she heard his car pull into the driveway.

Renesmee had stayed behind to act as a buffer, to answer the door for her and to allow her the grand entrance her self esteem needed so desperately. When Mike's door closed, Renesmee positioned herself at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm so excited," she whispered, just loud enough for Tanya's sensitive ears. "I finally get to meet _the_ Mike Newton!"

The _Mike Newton_, she thought, with a surprising stab of jealousy. _The same guy that used to have the hots for Bella._ Strange, how something so inconsequential could make her feel so strongly. Unnecessary.

The doorbell rang, and Renesmee hopped over to answer it. She heard their something this and that, blah blah, you knew so and so, small town small talk, while she checked her outfit one last time. She plumped her breasts up a little, put on a confident smile, and turned on her stiletto heal and headed out the door and down the hall.

Mike's face was priceless. It was a cross between a kid in a candy store, the guy who'd just won the lottery, and a hopelessly adorable puppy dog. Her heart melted a little, in a strange way, and she felt her smile widen.

He looked wonderful. Clearly, he was a man who knew how to dress himself. He wore a blue button-down dress shirt, tucked in, over a white t-shirt. His jeans were crisp, clean, dark blue, and he wore them with a pair of stylish black dress shoes. His hair, which he seemed to only wear combed down for work, was a little messy, looking like he hadn't paid it much heed after a long day at work, lifting boxes and sweating off the hair gel.

His scent reached her nostrils as she made her way down and made her gasp a little. It was like a clear mountain stream in a pine forest, mixed with a musky scent that was as subtle as it was seductive. His blue eyes twinkled like a dark, freshwater lake with appreciation for her appearance, and his hands were clasped firmly behind his back, and not in his pockets. He stood straight and tall, but she could feel the nervous vibrations emanating from him.

Why would he be nervous? _She_ should be nervous. This dress hugged her all wrong, showed off everything in the wrong way—

"Wow." He shook his head a little, and smiled at her. "You look absolutely stunning."

_Stunning. _ He'd called her stunning. Not pretty, sexy, hot, nice, or beautiful, but _stunning._ A mix of all of those, with some feeling behind it.

Oh, he was too damn cute.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she said, forcing herself not to bend and turn into the bashful teenager she felt around him. "That's a _very_ nice color with your eyes." She sauntered down the stairs and stopped a step in front of him. "It's quite…" She paused, searching for the right word, then gave him her most devilish, succubus grin. "Stunning."

Any other man would have melted, tried to seduce on sight. Kiss her, woo her, rip off her clothes and take her.

Mike cocked an eyebrow and said, "Interesting word choice, Russia."

Before she could even stutter a response, he'd taken her by the hand, said goodbye to Renesmee, who by now Tanya had completely forgotten about, and pulled her out the door.

Once out at the car, he was the perfect gentleman, opening her door and helping her into the car so that she wouldn't muss her dress or hair. He held her hand tightly, not commenting on the temperature. Gently, he closed the door to the Mustang before jogging around to the other side and getting behind the driver's seat. "All set?" he asked, and he looked like a teenager.

She giggled, feeling like he looked. "Let's do it," she said, beaming.

He pulled the car out and started back down the long drive, frowning slightly. "I never understood this driveway," he said. "I mean, I'm cool with wanting privacy, especially when you live in a glass house, but this is a long ass drive."

Tanya smiled. "You can admit it, my family is strange. I know."

Mike laughed, and the sound caressed her ears. "They're not so bad," he said dismissively. "Mine are _nuts_."

"I think most people feel that way about their families at one time or another," she said, grinning at him. She needed to change the subject. "So where did you go to school?" she asked. "Bella mentioned something about you going off to school."

"California," he said. "Cal State in Fresno. Majored in business administration and management." He grinned. "Would have had a better GPA, but Yosemite was really close and we'd go hiking on the weekends."

Something about the way his face was set made her feel like he was holding something back, something he didn't want to tell her. Whatever. It probably wasn't anything too terribly important, anyway.

"So what about you?" he asked. "You know more about me than I know about you, I bet."

"Like the time you puked in the back of Jake's car?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Somebody's gonna die," he said, in a voice that was teasingly menacing. "Who told you?"

"When I said what I was up to, Jake said to make sure you're healthy." She shrugged and grinned mischievously. "I was curious. Maybe a little nosy."

"Don't try to change the subject," Mike said, laughing. "That's what I mean—you know more about me than I do about you. So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm in real estate." It was her automatic response when someone asked her, and she'd gone over a good back story with Edward and Bella earlier in the week for when this question came up.

"People buy real estate in Alaska?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Where you're on the lake, and there's a beautiful forest behind you and huge properties that can stretch for miles? People buy real estate in Alaska. I also manage all the family properties." She gestured behind them. "That house is one of three they have, and I keep an eye on all of them. If they decided to sell, I'd be the one doing it."

Mike nodded. "That's nice of you," he said.

Tanya shrugged, continuing to flesh out her "story." "Carlisle's family," she said, smiling.

"How are you two related, anyway?" Mike asked.

"Our fathers were brothers," she said. "His mother died giving birth to him. My uncle died when I was very little, and Carlisle stayed with us for a time until he was old enough to take care of himself. It's why they adopted all the kids. Edward was a cousin of Carlisle's mom, and when his parents died, he had nowhere to go. Carlisle had just started school, but he's got such a good heart, he had to take him. He met Esme a short time later, and they got married right before our cousins disappeared. Their kids didn't have anywhere to go, so they figured, what the hell, and took in Alice and Emmett." Jesus, what a mouthful. Mike seemed intrigued, though, so she continued. "A few months later, her brother, who was a widower already, died of cancer, and _his_ kids had nowhere to go, so they got the twins. And that's how, at twenty six, Carlisle wound up raising five kids under the age of thirteen."

"Shit," Mike said, giving a low whistle, "and I thought the worst thing I'd have to worry about at twenty three was dead ending and working for my parents forever. I don't think I could do that."

"I couldn't either," Tanya said, laughing. "I remember being a teenager and thinking he had absolutely lost his mind. It was like the Brady bunch gone bad, or something—five kids running around in their big house in Juneau, growth spurts, awkward sex talks, the dangers of extreme outdoor sports…" She shook her head, amused, imaging what life really would have been like if it was like the story they told. Hell, obviously.

Mike burst out laughing. "Yeah, it used to weird people out that they lived together and were 'together,'" he said, letting go of the wheel to make air quotes.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked abruptly, having been turning over his last statement in her head.

"You just did."

"Ha, ha." She laughed, regardless. "Why is working for your parents 'dead ending?'"

Mike shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I just had bigger plans for my life. I wanted to live life in the fast lane, and now, I'm working for benefits and a paycheck while I watch it all happen from the sidelines." He frowned. "My friend Tyler has a great life. Money, nice place, job he actually likes. He's not stuck in some Podunk small town with people that haven't ever changed their minds about anything. I mean, I've been trying to talk the folks into opening another store, with me as the manager, and they're just now starting to think about it."

"Where would the new store be?"

"No idea," he said, "but if they open a new store, I'm out of here. This town is toxic."

"'Toxic?'"

"It's like a roach motel for people. They check in, but they don't check out. They stay here forever."

For some reason, the idea of classifying people as roaches and Forks at a roach motel was hysterical to Tanya, and she spent the next two minutes rolling in her seat, laughing hysterically. Mike laughed, too, and when she started to calm down, he said quietly, "Cockroaches."

The laughter started again, and continued all the way into Port Angeles.

_a/n I know you people are reading this, because I'm keeping tabs on hits. Reviews make me super happy! Tell me if you like it, hate it, or are curious what's going to happen next..._


	5. Something Different

**CHAPTER 5—SOMETHING DIFFERENT**

While they walked from a parking lot down the boardwalk to the movie theater, they talked about everything and nothing. Passions, hates, loves, quirks. He cataloged all of the things she said, and found himself on the best first date of his life.

She loved black and white movies and classical music, but she also loved Quentin Tarantino movies and really bad B movies, which he loved to watch for the same reason as she did—they were funny as shit. She loved hiking, but was nervous to try camping because it meant leaving technology behind for an extended period of time. Her family, while irritating at times, was the most important thing to her. She had dated several men before, but never anything long term—apparently, looks were a priority to them, and while she was indeed beyond sexy, she was also smart, funny, and loyal to a tee.

Her favorite singer was a woman from the fifties and sixties named Julie London, who he knew from _V for Vendetta_ because she sang "Cry Me a River." Her new band was called She & Him, and was a two member group. Her favorite color was green, because it went with everything. Her favorite shirt was a vintage AC/DC shirt, and she wore it around the house braless when she didn't give a rat's ass what she looked like.

He told her a lot of the same things, but left out one big thing.

Anything concerning Jessica or his engagement or his past relationship with her was not mentioned. What was he supposed to say? "This is the best date ever, hope my fiancée doesn't find out," probably wouldn't fly. "I really hate my girlfriend and I don't even know why we're engaged," wouldn't work either. So he just didn't bring it up.

He found out that she hadn't ever been in a committed relationship, but that she felt like she was finally ready to give it a try.

He laughed. "Finally?" he asked. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six," she said, and there was a twinkle in her eye. "Isn't that when a woman is supposed to want to settle down?"

"I don't know," Mike said, feeling a little uncomfortable as he thought of himself, engaged at twenty-three. So small town. "I think you're supposed to want to settle down whenever you feel ready."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." They stood in front of the movie theater now.

"Yes!" She looked really excited. "I haven't been to the cinema in ages!"

"I suppose you don't live near a town?" he asked, holding the door for her to enter.

"Anchorage is not too far," she said, "but it's hard to get there in winter."

"I'd imagine." A thought occurred to him. "You ever get into extreme sports or anything out there?"

"Oh, God, yes!" Tanya burst out laughing. "We do skiing, sledding, snowboarding, and we've got snowmobiles. He like to tie people onto the back of them and race around."

"Doesn't it hurt when you fall off?" he asked.

"I imagine so," she said, lifting her chin a little, "but I've never fallen off."

Tanya didn't want any popcorn, saying she'd had a big dinner with her family, and that was fine with him. They bypassed the concessions altogether and headed straight inside.

"You wanna pick the seat?" he asked, and was pleased when she led him to a seat toward the back, away from the majority of the other patrons.

"It's quieter back here," she said, offering him a smile that was suddenly shy. She was so damn cute when she got all shy. "Away from people whispering, you know."

"Yeah," he said. "Quieter."

Mike wouldn't be able to recall what the movie was about, who was in it, who the characters were, anything. His entire focus was devoted to Tanya. Early on, he crept his arm up to rest it over the back of her seat. She'd grinned, not taking her eyes from the screen, but made no protest when he did so. It felt like sparks were passing between them. She shifted in her seat, and her leg brushed his. It was like a little jolt of electricity, and he didn't even touch her skin.

And there was tension. The only part of the movie Mike really paid attention to was a sex scene, and that was only because he felt Tanya shift again. He glanced at her, and she had her eyes trained on the screen. He looked away before she could turn, and a few seconds later, glanced again. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye, and he winked at her. Her eyes shot forward again, and she looked a little flustered.

She looked… uncomfortable, as the characters on the screen screwed in the way that only characters on screen can.

When the lights came back up, Mike stretched his arms up over his head and smiled at her. "What did you think?" he asked.

She nodded. "It was good," she said, uncertainly.

Mike chuckled, suspicious she'd seen no more of the movie than he had. "Come on," he said, "let's go."

They walked out of the theater in companionable silence until she sighed deeply and smiled. "It's so nice to be out of the house," she said, grinning up at him.

"You don't get out much?" he asked, trying to decide what to do with his hands. Put them in his pocket, or hold hers?

"Not really," she said, and she frowned a little.

A strong feeling washed over him when he saw the frown. He didn't like it. Her eyes were a little sad, and he wanted that frown gone.

"What's the matter?"

She shook her head as they started a slow walk back to the car. "Nothing," she said, and she tried to smile, but it looked off, now.

Mike stopped walking. Was it something he'd done, something he'd said, maybe? "You can tell me, you know," he said quietly, his eyes meeting hers when she stopped and turned to look at him.

She sighed and shook her head. "Not good first date material," she said, smiling, but it was a sad smile.

"This is the best first date I've ever been on," he said quietly, taking a little step toward her. "I mean, I really like you, which doesn't make sense, because I don't even know you that well. But I want to get to know you. So please," he begged, "tell me."

She sighed, hard and fast, crossing her arms. She looked like she was trying not to cry. "I've never told anybody before," she said quietly, and her voice was a little shaky. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's so stupid."

"I bet it's not as stupid as you think," he said, stepping a little closer.

"I'm just…" She sighed again. "I'm just really lonely." A slightly bitter smile flirted with her lips. "Everywhere I go, there's happy people and happy couples. I go home, and I live with a bunch of people who are happily married, who have someone to share everything with, and…" She shook her head again, suddenly looking years younger.

"And you don't?" he finished. She nodded. Carefully, he reached out and took her tiny hand in his. "Do you want to talk about it?"

What the fuck? He wasn't a talker. He never talked about anything, and now he wanted his date to tell him all about how miserable was?

Yes, his other side said, because he knew once she talked about it, she'd feel better. He wanted her to feel better, to make her happy, and see that beautiful smile again. He wanted her to feel a lot of things with him…

Tanya's eyebrows shot up. "You don't seem like the talking type," she said skeptically.

"I'm not," he admitted, "unless it's a special circumstance."

"I'm a special circumstance?"

"You sure are, baby," he said, grinning, and she finally smiled.

They walked slowly back to the car, and she got a lot of things off her chest. He also learned a lot about her that surprised him a bit.

Like the fact that she'd been around the block a few times. She'd had numerous lovers, just no boyfriends. She'd been the last single one in her family since Edward had gotten married, and she was extremely bitter and a little pissed that he was so blissed out all the time. She hated the sound of sex, when it came from anywhere in her house. It was more the fact that it was her family doing it—it was the love they had.

Commitment was scary to her, simply because it was new.

By the time they got to the car, the dynamics of their date had changed. She seemed to have talked herself out, and Mike still held her hand. He opened the car door for her again, smiling slightly at her. She was shy again, having just exposed herself emotionally, but he really didn't care.

He shouldn't want to be the guy who made commitment an adventure, but he did. He was already committed to Jessica, but that commitment was not, and hadn't really ever been, real. He was starting to realize that, and it scared him.

What the fuck was he going to do?

Back in the car, he held her hand again. She scooted closer and rested her head against his shoulder, her bright eyes staring into the darkness. He glanced over at her and wondered, not for the first time, what the _hell_ she was doing with him.

In the dim light from the dashboard, she looked so beautiful it took his breath away. Her pale face was gentle and content, her eyes bright. Her hair had lost some of its artificial looseness and started to spiral like it normally did. He made a quick mental note to tell her to leave her hair alone—he liked it like it normally was. Her long legs were stretched out, bare from her mid thigh to her black stilettos. He made another mental note to tell her to wear those shoes more often. She sighed softly and snuggled into his shoulder a bit more.

What word would describe what comes after beauty? Looks that were almost inhuman, with an exceptional personality to go along with them?

He pulled into the Cullen house a while later, the drive having passed in silence, and disengaged himself from her to jog around and open her door again. She smiled shyly up at him as he took her hand to help him out.

"I had fun tonight, Mike," she said, her accent tugging and pulling at her words in odd places. He'd started to recognize that the presence of her accent meant something different. Almost like she'd dropped barriers and let loose a little.

"Me, too," he said, knowing it sounded lame. "I mean, I just had the best first date ever."

She finally laughed, and he grinned.

He walked her to the door, trying hard to decide whether or not he wanted to kiss her, or try to stay over. _That_ would be awkward in the morning—come downstairs, and there would be his ex crush and her husband, sipping coffee. And he wasn't sure he wanted to do that so soon…

Without him realizing it, she'd turned at the front door and was staring up at him. He finally met her gaze and smiled at her. Her fingers were still twined with his, and she squeezed them lightly. He gave her hand a tug, and brought her so her body was flush against him. She inhaled sharply, and he swallowed. "Listen," he said, his voice husky with lust, "I really, _really_ wanna come upstairs with you and do unspeakable things to you." She giggled, and he felt a little relief. "But I really like you."

"I really like you, too," she said. "And I really want you to take me up there and do unspeakable things to me, too. But I can wait."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

She started to pull away, but he wasn't having that. Just because he wasn't going to sleep with her didn't mean he couldn't kiss her. Another tug brought her back to him, and he lifted her chin up with his finger. Her eyes were a little glazed as she looked up at him, and he leaned down just slightly to press his lips to hers.

Her lips were cool, like the rest of her body, but it didn't bother him. She gasped slightly when their lips touched, and seemed to be holding her breath as he brushed his closed lips lightly against hers. Then she released her breath and leaned into him to kiss him back. It lasted maybe fifteen seconds.

It was chaste, and very sweet. It also made him feel like his dick was going to explode.

It was the biggest conundrum of a kiss Mike had ever experienced.

Her eyes were still closed when he pulled away, but they opened a few seconds later. She looked a little shocked, and he laughed at the expression, cupping her face in his hands and giving her one more tiny peck on the lips before backing away.

"I'll call you tomorrow," she promised, leaning against the doorframe, a slightly goofy smile slowly crossing her face.

He winked, turned, and walked confidently back to his car. He backed out, drove down the driveway, and turned onto the main road.

"Holy shit!" he screamed, his face erupting in the empty car into the biggest grin he'd ever had.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the town's only bar to kill a little time. While he sat in the mostly empty dive, he started to come back down a little bit. Yes, he had been on the best date of his life, but he also had to go home to his fiancée. His fiancée, who drove him crazy. The same woman he didn't really feel a great deal of love for anymore.

As opposed to Tanya, who he shouldn't feel anything for, but for whom he was starting to feel a great deal of… something.

After a few beers, a game of pool with some random passer-through, and a few good hours, Mike made his way home. The dizzying high had started to wear off a little, but it was still present as he made his way back to his house.

Until he walked in the door to find Jessica sitting in the living room with her friends, pouring over wedding details.

It was the happiest she'd looked in weeks, surrounded by her superficial friends from work, people who liked her mostly because she lived fairly comfortably for her occupation and age. She was so happy and contented when she was looking at wedding magazines, plotting dish sets, seating charts, and other things brides fretted over. What would she be like after, when there was no more wedding to look forward to?

Would there even be a wedding?

When would he tell her? _Would_ he tell her. No. It would be better to leave both of them in the dark until he knew more. Jessica wouldn't find out about Tanya, and Tanya wouldn't know about Jessica. Yet.

He pushed the thoughts away and, after waving to Jessica's friends, made his way to the back bedroom to try to sleep.

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Tanya watched Mike Newton's car drive away, staring blankly out the window after him. It had been easy to forget for a while, while she was with him, how horrible she'd felt lately. He made her feel alive and nervous and sexy and shy all at the same time. Nobody had ever done that before, and now, as this human man drove away from her, her heart broke a little bit more.

What was she supposed to do now?

Then, to top it all off, there was the sex thing. Tanya had expected to have sex tonight. But when they'd arrived home, he'd made it no secret that while he wanted her, he wanted to wait a little bit more. He liked her.

Nobody had ever liked her enough to turn down sex from her. And she'd never given up so easily. It was hard to wrap her head around.

She did everything she could think of to keep herself busy, but after two hours, when the house was spotless from top to bottom except for Jacob's and Renesmee's rooms, she was forced to concede the loss.

If nothing else, she had to bite the bullet and ask the only person who could relate to her situation for advice.

_a/n Bet you can guess who _that_ is. Up next, recap of the uncomfortable conversation you never want to have with the guy you used to try to convince to screw you, proper use of camping gear, and a checkup with the other family members. Reviews make me happier than a Tarantino movie on a Tuesday night! Don't you want to make me that happy? Leave love!  
_


	6. New Sex

_a/n Oh, how I've been waiting for this chapter! Dying for it, really. Hopefully, you'll enjoy. Heed the rating, kids! This chapter contains a lot of really foul language between angry grown ups, and a little… ahem… you know._

_This chapter dedicated to dazzleglo for a review that made me giggle. Thanks, dear!_

_a/n On a side note, please feel free to point out grammatical/spelling/gender errors at any time. I beta myself. Yeah, that's right. Myself and I have conversations and write together and hang out. And they call _me_ crazy...__  
_

**CHAPTER 6—NEW SEX **

Tanya found herself alone on the front porch, nothing to do and no one to talk to. Fear washed over her as the reality of her situation set in.

She was falling for a human.

She had few options. One was just to not call him back, leave Forks, and do everything to forget him. That didn't seem so appealing. She could keep seeing him and see if it was even worth doing the next thing, but she knew it would be.

Her only other option was to tell him, and that could go one of two ways. If it went her way, he'd fall in love with her even more and beg for her to turn him, so that he could stay with her.

Or he could freak and run off, and she'd have to kill him. Again, not so appealing.

Around two in the morning, she finally melted down. Sitting on the little bench on Carlisle's front porch, she watched helplessly as her hands started shaking. The breaths she took were shaky, and her throat felt oddly thick.

It was in this fashion that Edward and Bella found her four hours later when they arrived home from their evening out. Edward sent Bella to check on their still-snoozing daughter, and sat down next to Tanya. When she forced her eyes to his face, she saw a look of concern that bordered on fear.

"Tanya?" His honeyed voice, so different from Mike's, was low and careful. "Did something happen?"

"No!" she burst out, unable to contain herself any longer. She broke down entirely, her hands quivering nearly out of control. "I don't know what's happening to me! I'm nervous and I can't think straight, and when I can think, all I can think of is his face teasing me and making me feel useless!" She gasped for air and felt Edward's strong hand, sure against her back, as he rubbed her shoulders to calm her. "He just makes these little comments and makes me feel like I'm a teenager, and I don't know what to do! I like him, I just don't know what I'm supposed to…" She trailed off, shaking, her chest heaving in violent dry sobs.

She really wasn't looking for an answer, and he understood, hearing the conflict in her thoughts. He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back as she fell apart. He didn't say anything, just made gentle, calming sounds. She wasn't sure why this was happening. This had never happened to her before.

At this thought, Edward chuckled. "Sounds like you're a little out of your element with Newton," he said, dry amusement evident in his tone.

Tanya forced in a deep breath, exhaled, and managed a weak laugh. "That's an understatement," she said, laughing faintly again. "It's just so strange."

"I think," Edward said slowly, his arms still supporting her, "you might really like him."

Whether it was the seriousness of the situation, the fear, the irony that it was Edward comforting her, or just the giddiness she still felt from being with Mike, she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, Tanya burst into a peal of laughter. She was unstoppable for several minutes, and vaguely glad that Jasper wasn't present to have to suffer along with her.

Bella's soft footsteps sounded in the house behind them, then the sound of the door opening and closing announced her presence on the porch. Tanya managed to shape up a bit before Bella sat down next to her on the bench, on the side opposite her husband. She cocked an eyebrow at Tanya. "I take it by the lack of a human presence in the house that the three hundred dollar lingerie you're wearing went completely to waste?"

"Oh, my God," she snorted, laughing again. Edward shook his head and, releasing her, buried his face in her hands. "Shot down before I could even start!"

"Really." Bella looked a little amused by this. "And how did that make you feel?"

"Well, the way he said it made me feel sexy," she said, giggling. Edward groaned.

"Sexy, but still unsatisfied?" Bella asked, a bona fide smirk crossing her face now.

"Completely."

Bella seemed to consider this. "Hmm." She rose from her seat and stared down at her husband. "I know the feeling." She looked back at Tanya and smiled brightly. "I need you to help me pick out something sinful later, 'kay?" Then she turned on her heel and breezed back inside.

It was quiet for a minute. Then…

"See what you have to look forward to?"

Edward's little aside had her rolling in laughter again.

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_Two Weeks Later_

Mike's feet were propped up as he went through sales and labor reports from the last month, smiling with the satisfaction that he'd brought in more business in the last quarter than his parents had in the same timeframe two years ago. His labor costs were also low. Despite pressure from parents to hire "just one more kid" to work the summer, Mike stuck with a three person staff—one high school kid, one guy who'd been here for years, and himself.

Maybe he was stuck in his home town, but he wasn't too bad at it.

The phone rang, and he put down his reports and his feet before picking it up. "Newton's Olympic Outfitters, this is Mike."

"Yes, Mike, I'm hoping you can help me," the voice on the other end purred. "You see, I've got all this camping equipment and nobody to use it with. Do you know where I might find a good, safe camping buddy?"

Mike grinned. "Well, ma'am, I'd be more than happy to volunteer myself to help you out."

"Oh, would you really?" she asked, her voice dripping with lust. "That would just be lovely. We can lay out under the stars and get all warm by the fire. And by warm, I mean hot. Hot and bothered."

Mike burst out laughing. Tanya would call in the middle of the day to act coy, just to get him hard at work. Things had been going well with her. They still hadn't had sex yet, but they'd done a lot of what led up to it. Their second date had been go carts, and when he'd dropped her off to kiss her goodnight, she let him feel up her ass. Their third date, they'd stayed home and watched a movie while her family were out for the night. Mike got to feel her boobs. Their forth date, if you could call it that, was blatant parking of a car to make out in the backseat. Her shirt had come off, leaving her in her bra, and she'd given him the most amazing head of his life. He'd touched her and watched as she arched her back and cried out in the back of his Mustang. Then he'd driven her home and gave her a little kiss, laughing when she seemed to get shy again.

And to top it off, she loved calling him at work and having phone sex. Just not today, apparently.

"So I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah." Mike moved the reports off to the side to pull out his date book, knowing he still had a cancellation to make tonight so he could be with Tanya. "Seven?"

"Seven, it is," she said, and he could hear her smile. "Bring pajamas."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Bye."

"Bye, babe."

They'd stopped short of actual sex every time it had gotten close, because it just didn't feel right yet. She seemed nervous, and he was fine to let her warm up slowly. Hell, _he_ was nervous. It wasn't every day the hottest woman on the planet wanted to have sex with you. Besides, she still didn't know about Jessica.

He wasn't sure how he felt about having to break that one to her, but he knew the time was close. It was starting to take a toll on him. Jessica was still clueless about Tanya, and Tanya, about Jessica. The weird thing was, he felt like he was cheating not just on Jessica, but on Tanya, too. He'd had sex with Jessica once in the past two weeks, when he was sexually frustrated, but it hadn't done anything for him. He hadn't even gotten off, and it didn't help when Jessica yelled at him for it. He'd yelled back, and they hadn't spoken for two days afterward. Sex was now off the menu, and he had a feeling it was going to be permanent. He just needed a way to let her down gently…

The rest of Mike's day dragged, and when he flipped the front sign to "Closed," he wanted nothing more than to just skip going home and head straight to Tanya's.

Instead, he drove through the rain to his house.

Inside, Jessica was packing. She was leaving in the morning for a conference in Milwaukee and wouldn't be back for a week. He was looking forward to her being gone so he could bring Tanya over and show her his life.

"Mike, where's my black pumps?" Jessica shouted from the bedroom when he walked in the door.

"Jesus Christ!" he screamed. "How the fuck would I know where your goddamn shoes are? Fuck, Jessica!"

She came out with her hand on her hip, looking shocked and furious. "What the fuck?" she spat. "What is your problem lately?"

"I come home after working all day, making money for _your_ shit, mostly, and the first thing out of your goddamn mouth is, 'Where are my black pumps?'" He threw his hands over his head. "How about, 'Hey, honey, nice to see you. How was your day?' You know, the shit I ask you when you come home?" He scoffed, glowering as he stomped past her into the bedroom.

"You don't need to be an asshole right before I leave," she called after him.

"You don't need to be a cunt twenty-three hours of the day, either, but you don't hear me saying anything."

"Michael!" She stomped around the corner, looking shocked. "What the hell did you just call me?"

"I called you a cunt," he said, reaching into the back of the closet for a duffel bag. "You've used me up, baby. I'm running on empty right now."

"Oh, get over yourself," she spat, glaring up at him. How had he ever been able to look around her personality to find her beautiful? He couldn't remember anymore. It didn't help that she'd changed over the last few years, and not for the better. "What's with you? Are you on drugs, or something?" She peered accusingly up into his face. "You haven't been the same since you went to see Tyler two weeks ago. Did he get you on something?"

"No!" Mike threw the duffel to the bed, waving his hands over his head. "I'm not on fucking drugs, okay? Jesus! Are _you_ on drugs?" Jessica's mouth was hanging open, and he reached down to close it for her, glaring. "Fuck you."

She jerked back when his hand touched her, and before he could register it, she'd pulled her open hand back and brought it forward in a loud _smack_ across his cheek. In reflex, he shoved her away from him, hard, and she tumbled backward against the bed. He was breathing hard, and he blinked when he realized what had just happened. He held out his opened hands, and she curled back away from him, hiding her face in a pillow.

"Just go," she said, her voice muffled around the pillow. "Just pack up and go wherever you're going. I don't care."

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Mike Newton's house was easy enough to find. It was up against the woods, like so many houses were here. Crouched outside, just beyond the edge of the tree cover, Edward crouched, frowning as he listened to the shouting coming from the house, the thoughts of the fighters, and those of the neighbors that could hear them.

_Oh, goodness, there they go again. They're so loud…_

_Jesus, what a bitch. I wouldn't put up with that shit—she's just using him for the money. Why doesn't he figure that out and kick her off so we don't have to listen to it?_

_What is his _problem_? He's being such an asshole for the last two weeks. He has to be high on something…_

…_can't believe she thinks I'm on drugs what if she finds out does she know fuck I don't know what to do right now just pack up and leave she said to pack up and leave go Tanya's waiting…_

Mike's thoughts were a jumble of anger, remorse, and excitement, and they made Edward's head spin. As he watched through Mike's thoughts, Mike silently packed a shirt, pants, sweat pants, a t-shirt, flip-flops, and an extra pair of shoes and socks. He didn't say anything to Jessica, where she lay in a ball on the bed, looking pathetic. He just stalked out of the house, got in the car, and sat for a minute before starting it and backing out. Jessica got up off the bed, unharmed and more pissed than upset, and continued packing for her trip.

"What the fuck just happened?" Bella whispered, watching as the car pulled out.

Edward tugged on her hand and seconds later they were running full tilt back to the house. Mike wasn't going straight there—he was stopping off at the diner to eat, thinking Tanya had dinner plans with her family. "Dinner plans," indeed.

"We have to leave," Edward said in a rush. "Mike's planning to tell Tanya about Jessica tonight, and that's something she needs to deal with on her own. We can't help her."

"I feel so bad," Bella said quietly. "Do we tell her, or warn her or anything?"

"No." Edward skidded to a halt in the driveway and turned to his wife. He was distracted for a moment by her windblown hair, slightly damp clothes that clung to her, and bright eyes. He cupped her cheek in his hand, smiling when she leaned into it. "We didn't see anything."

Bella sighed and nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood in the drive for a moment before Edward's phone rang. He disengaged from his wife and sent her to help Tanya set up the tent in the backyard. Bella smiled and ran off. He glanced at his phone, which was blaring "Mercy" by Duffy as loud as its little speakers could. He shook his head and answered his sister.

"Hello, Alice," he said calmly, suspecting what her phone call was about.

"Edward?" Alice sounded extremely confused. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said slowly, "I just had a really weird vision. About Mike Newton. And Tanya. Having sex."

Edward grinned. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the plan for tonight."

"Oh!" Alice's voice was a little shocked. "And you're coming home!"

"Yep." Edward glanced back to where his wife was helping their cousin. "It'll be fine. Right?"

"I think so," Alice said slowly. "There's a lot of decisions to be made, and a million different ways this could go. It's too confusing right now. They're both hiding a lot."

"Yeah." Edward sighed, then waved as his daughter came out of the house, glared at him, and thought loudly, _We're leaving? You've got to be kidding! I wanna stay! _"Alice, I have to go. My daughter's throwing a tantrum."

Alice laughed. "Bye, Edward."

"Goodbye, Alice." He hung up the phone and frowned as his daughter where she stood, arms crossed and feet planted shoulder width apart, in the drive, a scowl on her adorable face. It was almost funny, but he couldn't laugh. He was supposed to be an authority figure. Instead, he frowned back at her. "Yes, young lady, we're leaving. Tanya needs her privacy, and we should respect that." He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You didn't even ask me," she said, still scowling.

"I don't have to ask you. I'm the parent, you're the child, and you do as you're told."

"But it's not fair!" she screamed, and Edward actually took a step back. "I never get to do anything I wanna do!"

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen!" Bella's shriek was more terrifying than his daughter's, and he took two more steps back as his wife came around the corner of the house in a fury. "Do not _ever_ use that tone with your father!" Renesmee cowered a little under her mother's furious gaze. "That is absolutely uncalled for!"

Renesmee was hanging her head now as her mother seethed silently for a moment before turning and going back to her work with Tanya and the tent.

"I'm sorry," Renesmee said softly, and where she had been an angry teenager before, she now turned into the little girl who still called him…

"Daddy?" Her little arms wrapped around his middle, and he heaved a sigh. "I'm really sorry I was rude. It was unacceptable." She sounded very serious, and he finally laughed.

"You're forgiven, darling," he said, hugging her tightly and kissing the curls at the top of her head. "Now will you go pack?"

"Yes, daddy," she said, and she leaned up, pecked his cheek, and turned to skip back inside.

He stood in the drive for a second before racing out to the cottage to pack their things.

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Thirty minutes later, Tanya heard the telltale roar of Mike's car, and she walked slowly out to the front of the house to wait for him. She waited as patiently as she could, but when she saw the car come through the trees, she started bouncing on the balls of her feet. He pulled to a stop, got out, and laughed at the sight of her.

"Hey, baby, impatient much?" he asked, laughing boisterously. He took his time walking to her, and then set his bag down on the porch next to her before wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her toward him. She went willingly, smiling up at him and twining her fingers in his hair. He let her pull him down for a kiss, and she moaned a little when he shoved her gently against the side of the house. He laughed against her mouth and pulled away. "So camping, huh?"

"I have a tent set up," she said, and grinning, led him to the back of the house.

She couldn't remember a night when she'd had so much fun. She half expected him to go straight for her pants and to take her immediately, but he'd produced a deck of cards, instead. They played poker, rummy, black jack, and war. He'd ask her a question every so often—how Russian was she, did she speak Russian (to which she'd had to answer him in articulate Russian), what was the worst movie she'd ever seen.

Around ten thirty, the rain had let up long enough that Tanya grabbed some firewood she'd stashed in the corner of the tent and gave it to Mike.

"Man make fire," she said seriously.

Mike gave his best cave man grunt and walked like a gorilla out of the tent, banging his chest with his free hand and grunting, "Fire! Oooooh, man make fire!"

Tanya burst into peals of laughter and followed him out. He made a show of arranging the driftwood Jacob had brought her and using a flint and steel to start it going. When the flames shot up, he waved his hands in the air and circled his fire, making war cry sounds and making her laugh so hard she probably would have peed her pants if she were human.

He finally calmed down and came to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "This is nice," he said, nodding down to the many-blanket covered tarp they were sitting on. "Glad I sold it to you."

"Mmm," she said, snuggling into his warm arm. "Now you can tell all your customers it's worth it."

Mike sighed, and it was quiet for a little while again. It was comfortable at first, but then he started fidgeting, first with the zip on his fleece, then with the edge of the blanket.

"Mike?" She reached up to twine her fingers in his hair. "You okay, baby?"

He took a deep breath and looked down at her, uncharacteristically serious. "I have to talk to you about something," he said slowly. "It's kind of important, and I've been putting it off for a while, now."

Oh, God. He didn't want her. What would she do if he didn't want her. "Tell me," she said quietly, looking down at their joined hands.

He exhaled sharply and looked into the flames for a moment, seeming to gather his courage. She held her breath. "I…" She could feel his hands shaking, and she was a little alarmed. She'd never seen him like this before. Then he blurted, "I'm engaged."

It was quiet for a moment while this sunk in. He was engaged? What was that supposed to mean?

"You're… engaged?" she asked slowly.

He nodded. "Are you mad?" he asked quietly.

"Where is she now?" Tanya asked.

"On her way to Milwaukee," he said. "She's going to be gone for a week."

"And why aren't you with her now?" She could hear how sharp her voice was becoming.

"Because I don't want to be with her," he said, sounding a little annoyed. "I'd rather be with you. Unless you want me to be with her, in which case I'll go back home and fight with her some more. It'll be the highlight of my fucking weekend."

She shot to her feet, furious that he had the audacity to speak to her this way. "Don't you dare speak to me like that!" She could hear her accent, stronger than it had been in years, dripping from the words. "You just told me you're engaged, that you have plans to marry someone! Do you really expect me to be happy?"

"No, I don't expect you to be happy!" Good Lord, he just yelled right back. "I expected you to be glad that I told you! I'm trying to be honest with you! Jesus, why don't women have any fucking brains?"

"Oh, don't you make this about women!" she shrieked. "You're just a guy who got bored with his life and you're using me to make it interesting!"

The last time she'd yelled at anyone this way, they'd stepped back about a yard. Mike didn't move so much as a hair's width.

Instead, his blue eyes flashed. "Oh, yeah," he said sarcastically, "I want to use you, baby! That's all! I'm just fucking bored!" He threw out his hands and laughed hysterically. "I've done chicks out of boredom before," he barked suddenly, all laughter gone. "I went with her to our friends' wedding and fucked a bridesmaid on the counter of the bathroom during the reception. I've hired whores in Seattle. I've been to more topless bars than should be legal! So by not having sex with you and dating you for two weeks instead of having a one night stand and not calling you back, I'm using you to make my life more interesting! More fun! Because this is fun! It's so much fun to fuck everything up!"

Then his face fell, and he dropped to his knees. He looked younger in the firelight, and he buried his face in his hands. Tanya swallowed then knelt down beside him, resting a hand on his back. He looked up at her, tears in his eyes, and she knew what she had to say.

"I want you to leave her," she said quietly, staring down at him. "You can't have both. Either you leave her and have me, or I leave you with her."

His arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed his face to her belly. "I will," he muttered, kissing her there. "I just need some time. It's been so long. She could ruin me with palimony." He shifted her shirt so that he could kiss her skin. "Give me a month." His tongue, hot and wet, darted out to play with her belly button. She realized with a shock that she was being seduced.

Her eyelids drooped a little, and she twined her fingers in his hair. "One month," she agreed. "Then you leave, or kick her out, or tell her." She pulled his head back and stared into his face. "I want you," she said bluntly. "And I don't like to share."

He grinned wickedly up at her, his tears having been dried by her shirt and the fire's heat, and pulled her down. "I'm not nuts about it, either," he growled, his lips finding her ear. "I'd like to stick my dick in you and know it's the only one going in." He rolled them into the tent and landed on top of her.

"Wait," she said, breathless, as his hands started removing her shirt.

Mike's head shot up. "You're not ready," he panted, and blinked. "That's okay. We can—"

"No, I'm ready," she said, laughing. "I want you so badly. But I want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"I don't want you to make love with her," Tanya said softly. "Not anymore. If I can't have you to myself, I at least want this," she rocked her hips into his and he groaned, "to be all mine."

"I think that's only fair," he murmured in her ear, and she shuddered at the lustful, thick tone of his voice. "Now stop talking. You're the only girl I want to think about right now."

He pulled away from her a little, and pulled her shirt off, not seeming to have any more patience for waiting. Her pants were next to go, and he sat back to admire her body. She'd had so many men stare at her, but none like this. He really wanted her, wanted to do things to her and make her feel pleasure. It was incredibly sexy.

"That's the fucking hottest thing I've ever seen," he said, laughing.

She grinned back up at him and shifted back and forth in a little dance. "You like?"

"Oh, yes," he laughed, his hands wandering up and down her exposed. "Very much."

She'd picked out the lilac and lavender bra and panty set with Bella one day, not expecting to wear it for her first time with Mike, until he made a comment how amazing she looked in purples. It failed miserably at containing her breasts, which were barely enclosed, and which he immediately pulled out from the cups. She moaned when his lips made contact with her body, arching uncontrollably into his soft chest. On her back, she could feel his fingers sliding up to the clasp at the back, and felt it unsnap suddenly. A talent, to be sure. Then her breasts were completely freed, and his hands were cupping them, bringing them together to kiss both at once.

While his tongue was still working on her, his hands wandered down to her panties, sliding them off, and leaving her bare before him. He was still entirely clothed, and she felt so sinful as he pressed his jean contained erection against her. After a few seconds, he sat back on his heels, looking down at her with eyes that were clouded by lust. She expected him to make some comment on how sexy she was, how badly he wanted her. The usual.

He just stared at her. She was so nervous.

She was a little surprised when, instead of making a comment, he gathered her nude body in his arms and held her for a minute. She grasped the front of his shirt, inhaling his sweet scent. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. "We don't have to do this tonight."

"Mike, I'm not a virgin," she said, laughing shakily.

"You're nervous, though." He pressed a soft kiss to her ear, and she could feel the smile. "Seriously, babe, if you don't want to tonight, we don't have to. I'll understand."

Where did this man come from, with his odd ability to resist her? She'd been oozing all her charms for two weeks, and he seemed all but immune to them. Bizarre.

Perfect.

Instead of answering him, Tanya gave a gentle push that sent Mike onto his back. She smiled down at him as she pulled his shirt over his head, taking his undershirt with it. She'd never seen him without his shirt before, and she wasn't disappointed. He looked like he worked out. Not so much that he was ripped, but there was clearly defined muscle under his flesh. She trailed her fingers down his chest and stomach, feeling proud when he shuddered a little. Quickly, she undid his belt and had him naked in under a minute. He tugged her down, cupping her head in his hand and pulling her in for another kiss. Her chest pressed against his and she groaned. It had been too long…

"Lemmee grab a condom," he muttered around her lips.

Tanya almost laughed. _Almost_. "It's okay, baby," she said, and decided to test him with a part of her that she _could_ tell him about. "I can't have kids."

Mike blinked. "I'm sorry," he said slowly. "I feel like an asshole."

Tanya laughed. "I don't want them," she said. She slid down a little and ground herself against him, feeling her eyes roll a little.

He groaned. "They walk in on shit they're not supposed to walk in on," he muttered. "God, you're wet. Get up here." Taking hold of her arms again, Mike moved her so that she was more or less hovering over him, then he grinned up at her. "Whenever you're ready, babe."

Slowly, Tanya lowered herself onto him. His eyes held hers, even though she could see how desperately he was trying not to close them. She whimpered a little when he came up to meet her, exhaling sharply as he did so. He held her eyes while she rocked slowly on top of him, his hands guiding gently but forcefully. It was strange to feel so connected to him, so filled and completed, and when she whimpered again, he rolled her onto her back. He kept a steady rhythm, his eyes still on hers, and he brushed her hair away from her face.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She smiled and nodded. "It's really good," she whispered, feeling shy.

He chuckled again, and the sound went down his body and into hers. She moaned deeply, and he sped up, hitching her legs a little higher as he did so.

"Fuck," he hissed, and she actually squealed a little when he sped up, hitting her a little deeper. "Jesus, you feel so fucking _good_."

Needing to be a little closer, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung as tightly as she could without hurting him. Strong hands slid under her, caressing her butt before grabbing on tight. With his leverage, he could move faster.

Apparently, Mike liked leverage.

She couldn't remember anyone ever taking her so hard. He slammed harder into her, grunting, the sound making another rush of moisture leak from her. She could feel her breasts bouncing from the impact, and could see by the cloudy look in his eye that he hat noticed, as well. Her eyes closed, and a fantasy of him like her crossed her mind. He'd take her even harder then…

One of his hands left its post on her ass and slid down between them. She squealed with pleasure when he started working her harder than ever, rubbing his fingers above where they were joined.

"Oh, God," she moaned, feeling her head roll against the pillows under it. "Oh, I'm close."

"Yeah?" He grinned down at her. "Hold on, baby."

Where the _hell_ was he getting this stamina? Jesus, he was like a teenage boy who knew _exactly_ what he was doing, and when he leaned down to give her nipple a little nip, she was done.

Something very odd happened then. Stars flashed in front of her eyes, and she drifted in an ocean of pleasure for what felt like hours. She didn't remember him finishing, didn't remember anything after her own orgasm. It was as if she'd passed out.

_That_ was new.

He certainly seemed to think she had, and he gave her shoulder a little shake. "Baby? Tanya?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Mmhmm."

He laughed, and she opened her eyes.

His hair was a disheveled mess, and his cheeks were rosy. A light sheen of sweat covered his face, and he was grinning from ear to ear. He ran a hand over her face, leaning down to press a gentle kiss against her lips.

When he pulled away, she peered up at him. "Was it…" She bit her lip. "Was it good for you?" she asked timidly.

Mike burst into laughter again, and clutched her to his side. "Jesus, Tanya, I've never come so hard in my fucking life!"

A smile tugged at her lips. "Me, neither," she said.

"Really?" He looked proud, and she laughed at the expression.

"Really."

They lay in their makeshift bed for a while, and he held her close, his fingers tracing over her skin like he was trying to memorize her. Eventually, though, like all human men, his breathing deepened, evened out, and he fell asleep.

While he slept, Tanya watched him, finally knowing what it meant to make love to someone.

_a/n Looooong chapter. I wanted to be more detailed, but maybe next time. I'm worn out, and I have this thing with first times. It's hard to really write it down, because if you think about it, first times with someone you like are really intense. Maybe kinda private. I dunno. Maybe I'm just worn out. Don't worry, kids, there will be gory details soon. I know you and your pervy ways… Leave me love!_


	7. Blood on the Walls

_a/n No Mike POV this chapter, but there is a different one we've not yet heard from at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy it! *ahem* Children, please go locate your parents at this time. All children out of the pool, it's time for some adult swim._

_The "purple La Perla things" are the Passion de Fleur baby doll and matching robe on their website. Yay for blueberry!_

**CHAPTER 7—BLOOD ON THE WALLS **

"I can't believe you're leaving me here by myself," Tanya said, pouting. "You're mean."

"Trust me, Tanya, you need to deal with this on your own." Edward's voice was sympathetic. "If anything goes wrong, we've got VIP status with two airlines, and we can be there in a couple of hours."

"Why, though?"

"Because you're going to have too much to worry about with her than you realize," Bella's voice cut in.

"Did you put me on speaker again?"

Edward laughed. "Yep."

"You better hope I don't start talking about things that are inappropriate around your child."

"I'm sure she's heard worse from Emmett," Edward said dryly. "Bella's right, though. Jessica's not going to let Mike off easy. She's never been pleasant, but she's gotten worse with age. She'll dig in her claws. She's obsessed with the idea of being Mrs. Newton and having a husband with a little status."

"Don't say her name." Tanya clenched her teeth.

"Deep breath, Tanya." Edward's voice was encouraging. "You'll do just fine."

"You're just happy I found someone more appealing to me than you," she said, laughing. "So I need to worry about the girlfriend?"

"No." Bella's voice was a little bitter. "Just what she's going to do to Mike and his brain. Poor guy doesn't deserve what she'll dish out. She used to be okay, but yeah, she went nutso or something. You'll need to have all your attention on him. The last thing you need to do is explain why we haven't aged. He won't notice it so much with you."

"Maybe I'll go a little easy on him," she said, studying her fingernails. "I'm going over there later. She's out of town for the weekend."

"Oh, my God, Tanya," Bella said, and she sounded like she was smiling. "You're the other woman."

"Shut up."

"You're the home wrecker. Coming in and breaking up their happy engagement."

Edward burst into hysterics, spluttering out the words, "Happy engagement."

Tanya rolled her eyes and tapped her foot while he laughed. He finally calmed down, but before she could get anything out, Jacob said, "Hey, Hester, did you sew an 'A' to the front of your dress yet?"

Tanya hung up the phone and scowled. Things were so much easier before mass communication.

The phone rang a second later, and she smiled.

"Hello."

"I was afraid you wouldn't answer," Mike said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "'Fraid you'd have your way with me and never want to see me again."

"Oh, I want to see you again," Tanya said, her lips curling into a smile. "I'd like to see you without any clothes."

"That can be arranged."

Tanya laughed, and her mind flashed over images of the night before. He'd been amazing. They'd made love again before he'd left this morning, when he'd first woken up. She knew men were more aroused when they first woke up, but she hadn't experienced anything like _that_ before.

_All night long, Tanya breathed in Mike's overwhelming scent. Over the last two weeks, Edward had pressed the importance of doing this—it was the only way he hadn't killed the woman who would later marry him and birth his child._

_His words, not hers._

_Around six, Mike's phone beeped to wake him for work. His body, which hadn't moved in two hours, sixteen minutes, and forty-seven seconds, suddenly shifted violently toward the sound. He seized his phone, pushed something to silence it, then rolled back. She'd expected him to go back to sleep, but he'd grabbed her by the waist, surprising her. His hands immediately went between her legs, finding her already ready._

"_Fuck," he muttered, and with a groan, he pushed himself, hard, into her. She squealed with delight when, wasting no time, he started slamming into her. Half expecting him to finish immediately, she was delighted and shocked when he went for a full eight and a half minutes, making her come twice alone before once more with him._

_It was a mind-blowing experience, after which his phone went off again and, laughing, he rolled over and reached for his shirt. She lay on her back, knees still spread, unable to move. Her mouth hung open slightly, and he smirked when he glanced back at her._

"_Good morning, baby," he said, winking._

"_Oh, darling," she said, grinning, feeling her succubus charm seeping unintentionally from every pore, "you're just not real."_

_He burst into laughter before slapping a hand over his mouth and glancing sheepishly at the door. "Can they hear us?"_

"_No." Tanya stretched her arms leisurely over her head. "They left last night."_

"_Thank God," he said, jumping into his khaki cargo shorts. "No offence, but the last thing I want right now is for your fucking cousin to see me do a walk of shame." He winked again._

"_More like a walk of pride," she laughed._

_Dressed, he kneeled down next to her, leaning down on his elbows to be closer to her face. "Come to my place tonight," he begged, suddenly a teenage boy after his first lay._

_She was nervous. She'd never been to his house before, and now she knew why. "_She_ won't come back early?" Tanya asked bitterly._

_Mike's eyes narrowed. "_She_ is out of the state. The earliest she could come back is tomorrow morning at noon. She'll be too drunk to get up that early, so she won't be back until late tomorrow night, maybe Monday morning."_

"_She sounds like a delightful girl," Tanya said, raising her eyebrows._

_Mike frowned. "I don't really wanna talk about it right now, baby. I'm sorry. I just wanna be with you." He buried his face in her neck, pressing soft kisses against her. "Please?"_

_She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Anything for you, champ," she said, and she laughed when he pecked kisses all over her face. "Have a good day at work." She twined her fingers in his blonde hair. "Sell shit. Make money."_

"_Five more minutes," he said, grinning up at her. "I'm not done with you yet. Keep your hands there, doll. Gotta make sure you know how… _appreciative_ I am for last night."_

_Her first thought was, Oh, God, he was trying to kill her. Her second thought was, Thank God everybody left last night._

"Tanya?" Mike's voice broke into her memory. "Hello-ooo."

"Sorry." She may as well screw with him a little. "I was just thinking about something."

"What?" His voice dropped a little.

"This morning." She headed upstairs. "Both things. Best night and morning _ever_."

There had to be a big goofy grin on his face right now. His voice was giddy. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," she replied, laughing. "Well done, stud."

"I _am_ a stud," he said proudly. "Maybe it's just you, and you've never been fucked properly."

"I hope your employees can't hear you."

"Naw, I'm in the office with the door closed and the shade down." There was the sound of something shuffling. "Kid's out on the floor. So what are you up to?"

"Cleaning the Ducati," she said, and she glanced back at Bella's black motorcycle. "I promised Bella I would. It's her baby."

"_Bella_ rides a motorcycle?" Mike's voice was incredulous, and a little concerned.

"Yes, why?"

"Bella's not the most coordinated person in the world," he said seriously. "She could really hurt herself."

Tanya burst out laughing, unable to stop. She sometimes forgot how clumsy her cousin had been as a human. "Well, it was that or the Ferrari. She can hide behind a helmet on her bike, but everybody sees who's driving the sexy red car."

"Yeah, makes sense," Mike said, laughing. "She's pretty low key."

"Low maintenance, too," Tanya said. "She's got a fucking _Ferrari_ and she never drives it."

"Sacrilege." Mike's voice was teasing. "Such a shame. So glad you're not like that, sugar."

"Oh, no, I'm just a simple girl who happens to think Manolo Blahnick and Prada look pretty."

"Prada?"

"Yes, you've probably heard of it." She grinned. "Have you heard of La Perla?"

"No."

"Google it right now."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

She heard him start typing, and a minute later he let out a low whistle. "Damn," he said appreciatively. "Hot stuff."

"Bella's got a shopping abuse problem when it comes to La Perla," Tanya said. "She tends to drag me down with her."

"Yeah, I would have been fine without that first part."

"Hey, she's got good taste," Tanya defended. "You'll see."

"I'm sure."

"I'm heading over to your house right now. I was really hungry, so I already ate." She smiled, recalling the violent hunt she's gone on after he'd left.

"That's fine," Mike said. "I'll swing by the diner, pick on Bella's dad for a few minutes if he's around. Take your time."

Once she was off the phone, Tanya shot around, gathering everything she'd need. Candles, purple La Perla things, and a few other odds and ends were put into a bag, and she raced down to the garage.

An hour later, everything was ready. Candles were lit, and Tanya sat on the edge of the bed in a long robe that went down to her ankles, where her were cased in black Jimmy Choos that laced up her calves. He'd see _that_ when the robe came off.

She heard the roar of his car from down the street, and anxiously jiggled her foot. She put her hands flat behind her and leaned on her arms, jutting her chest out, when she heard the front door open.

"Baby?" She heard his keys drop onto a table. "Where are you?"

"In here," she called, and her sensitive ears picked up the sound of his heartbeat increase slightly, and his feet pause for a brief increment before turning toward the sound of her voice. They got closer and closer until they paused outside the bedroom door. Then the knob turned and he opened the door, stepping inside.

"Welcome home, honey," Tanya said, smiling coyly. "How was your day."

He laughed. "Jesus, baby," he said, taking a step toward her and crossing his arms. "I could get used to this."

She smiled coyly at him before standing up and walking slowly toward him. She tugged him toward her by his belt. He left his arms crossed and just grinned at her.

"Did you have a good day?"

"No," he said seriously.

Tanya frowned. Would he not be in the mood? "What happened?"

The grin was back. "Well, some lady called me in the middle of the day and got me all riled up talking about her underwear."

Tanya's mouth fell open a little, then she started laughing. "You asshole," she giggled. "I thought you'd really had a bad day."

Mike raised his hands so that he could cup her face and tilt it toward him. "You shouldn't call people names," he said softly, his hot breath fanning her face and making her dizzy, and a little thirsty. She gulped. "It's not nice. Now take your robe off."

Tanya's fingers moved to the tie, her face still in his hands and her eyes still on his. She let him back her up, moaning softly when he pressed his lips to hers and reached to her shoulders to help her shove the silk robe to the floor before shoving her back against the bed. She lay on her back, her knees bent and spread at the edge of the bed. He stared down at her for a long time before glancing toward where she'd left her bag. A grin stretched across his face, and he stepped over.

"This is nice," he said, pulling something out.

Oh, God. "It's Hermes," she said, her voice weak.

He was folding it as he walked slowly toward her, the sound of his shoes on the hardwood almost foreboding. Stopping in front of where she lay, Mike reached down to tug her up by the hand, and she let him.

He cupped her face in his hands again. "Do you trust me?" he asked quietly.

"Yes." Did she? "Yes," she said again.

She knew it was coming, and she braced herself for it. His hands let go of her, and he was staring into her eyes when he disappeared from view. When he pushed her back against the bed, she felt herself shaking a little with anticipation.

Then he stepped away.

She started to sit up, but he quickly turned and held her down. "Stay put," he ordered quietly.

Well, yes, sir.

Tanya was grateful for her sensitive hearing as she lay still on the bed, her legs still spread, on her back. She could hear him remove his shoes, and the sound of each button slowly pulling through its hole. Even more slowly, he slid his shirt off. She could see him in her mind's eye, see him in his black slacks and an undershirt. There was a soft click that she recognized as the sound of the clasp on his watch, then a little clink when he set it down. He stepped toward her again, and stood unmoving for about thirty more seconds. She was just about to say something to him when his hands reached for her wrists and pinned them above her head.

"Do you know how fucking sexy you look right now?" he growled into her ear, and she shuddered. "Lying on my bed with your legs spread, and I can see right up that thing. Take it off. I want to see you."

He was so delightfully bossy. Her stomach clenched again, and she wondered what he would tell her to do next as she pulled off the little baby doll. She heard his sharp intake of breath that hailed the falling of his eyes on the thong that matched the baby doll and the robe.

"Fuck," he whispered. "Put your heals on the edge of the bed." She did as she was told, feeling strangely submissive at the moment, and wondering vaguely what that meant. He rested his hands on her knees and spread them, his own knees holding her feet in place. He kept going until her knees touched the bed, then gently, from neck to ankles, ran his open palm down her body.

She was water. She was shapeless, formless, barely existent. Physically present but her mind was occupied elsewhere. She heard him talking to her, and she followed his instructions and the pressure of his hands.

Onto her front. Butt raised up for him to pull down her panties. Shoes still on. On her hands and knees.

He ordered her to scream, to beg him for what she wanted. The words came out in a torrent, in a rapid flow of whitewater words that were jumbled and barely coherent. _Please. There. More._

_Harder._

_Faster._

She begged, he delivered. And oh, did he deliver…

The first time she went over, his hands were _everywhere_. It was like he was some god with the ability to stimulate everything, and with his hands on her breasts and between her legs, his mouth at her neck and ears, she fell, wordless and whimpering, over the edge.

The second time, she was on her back, and he'd removed the blindfold. He ordered her to look at him, and her eyes trained on his, only straying to watch his body work. Her ankles were raised above and behind her head while he knelt in front of her, working like a piston, back and forth, in and out. His hands were braced behind his back, and he used his arms to push himself forward.

The final time, she knelt, raised, on her knees in front of him, while he molded to her from behind. Together, they worked in tandem and she went limp in his arms, which suddenly felt very strong and protective, despite the fact that she could easily overpower him.

She was nothing. Floating in an abyss of bright pleasure. Water, again.

"Baby?" Mike's voice echoed through her glittering paradise. "Tanya? Come back to me, honey. Come on…"

She blinked. Mike was hovering over her, looking concerned. She blinked again. So strange. Just like the first time—like she'd passed out.

"Hey." He smiled down at her. "Where'd you go?"

"On vacation," she said, giggling.

"Did ya have fun?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "This beautiful man showed up and made love to me and made me lose my mind."

Mike burst out laughing, collapsing onto his side next to her. His chest was covered in a sheen of sweat, and he smelled delicious.

But not delicious… Strange.

"How are you not sweating at all?" he asked, running his hot hand down her icy side.

She shuddered. "Bad circulation," she said. "A genetic condition."

Mike frowned. "But you're healthy, right?"

"Oh, darling, I'm just fine," Tanya said, laughing. "I'm not going anywhere. It's not _that_ kind of condition."

"Good." Mike rolled closer to her, and pressed his lips against her shoulder and back. "'Cause I like you, lady."

Tanya laughed, and they lay together for a long time, just laughing.

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_One Month Later_

"Fuck you in the asshole!"

Alice frowned over the top of her latest issue of Italian _Vogue_ at Emmett, where he stood in front of the couch, game controller in hand, glaring in disbelief at the plasma TV. The night _would_ have been quiet, but Emmett had decided not to go hunting with the others, staying back with Alice, Jasper, and Esme, while Carlisle worked.

Jasper laughed. "Oh, and now I'm going to rip out your guts… there! Ha ha! I'm killing you _ever_ so slowly."

Fake blood spurted out of a video character's intestines. Alice rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine. Only vampires would get this big of a kick out of blood and carnage…

_A body lay in the middle of an unfamiliar hallway, facedown and still. Not breathing. Dead. Blood pooled around the head, down the neck. Blood was trailing down the short hall to a bedroom. A bit of blood dripped ominously from the corner of a heavy, antique wooden table. This was probably what the head had impacted. Fresh red blood streaked down the wall, and bloody finger trails were evident on the floor, as well. _

_Blood drying in place, pooling in others, clotted and sour…_

"There's blood everywhere," Alice whispered, her eyes out of focus still. She wasn't seeing Jasper, but that strange hallway and the human, facedown and bleeding.

"What's wrong, Alice?" Jasper was shaking her, but she was still in the hall. "What do you see?" His voice was calm, full of authority.

"Blood everywhere. A body, in a hall. I couldn't tell where."

"Who was it, Alice?"

"I don't know." Alice's eyes slid back into focus. "I didn't see a face. It was a woman, I think. Maybe."

"That's all you saw?"

"Yes."

Jasper frowned. "Well, if you didn't see anything else, there's not a whole lot we can do." Jasper kissed her forehead and ran out the front door. She glanced at his immediate future and saw him telling Edward what Alice had seen.

They flew back in not two minutes later, and as he got closer, Edward could see her memory. The body. The hall.

The blood.

He recognized things that she did not.

There was nothing to be done, he said. He'd noticed a detail she had missed—a clock radio, flashing the time. Two minutes ago, in another time zone. By now, it would be over.

"So much blood," Alice whispered again.

_a/n I say nothing else. Exercise patience, young padawan. Leave your Master a review._


	8. Trust Me

_a/n Before reading, I'd like to say that the first person's POV continues beyond the start of the second. _Way_ beyond the start of the second…_

_Secondly, this has seriously dirty, dirty talking. If that's not your bag of chips, skip the sexiness. If it is, enjoy!_

_Third: This is a very M rated chapter. Crude sexual language, and the images to go with it. There is violence and crime ahead, as well as implied drug use and knocking out of a humanoid. Use good judgment._

**CHAPTER 8—TRUST ME **

It had been a month since she'd come home from Milwaukee, and nothing had been the same since she'd gotten back. If Mike had been distant and rude before, he was just indifferent now. They never had sex, and he'd been sleeping on the couch ever since. She never apologized to him about the fight before he'd gone. He'd screamed vulgarities at her and shoved her.

She had no reason to want to apologize. Because on top of everything else, she was suspicious that he was sleeping with someone else.

Every night, for about three hours, he left and disappeared for a while, not answering calls or texts. She'd checked the bar and the diner one night, trying do deduce where he was going. Both times she'd followed him, he'd gone to the bar. He'd raised his eyebrows at her when she'd driven by him, and waved sardonically. When she had left ten minutes behind him, she could never find him. She drove around for two hours, but didn't see his car anywhere. Maybe it was parked in someone's garage.

Today, she was going to do something different. She'd called at work every day for the last week during Mike's lunch break, and was told he'd gone home for lunch. This morning had been no exception, and she'd left the station to go home for lunch, herself.

Bile rose in her throat as she turned the last corner onto their block. She could see right away that something was off. That something was a sleek, expensive-looking red Ferrari in the driveway of their house. It was parked next to Mike's Mustang. She felt like she was going to be sick, but maybe…

But probably not.

She parked outside on the street and quietly closed the door behind her. It felt strange to be sneaking though her own backyard, but she wasn't really left with another option. She headed to the back door, grateful that she'd thought of this yesterday and squirted WD-40 on the hinges. It swung open silently, and she closed it just as silently as she could.

Once inside, she had absolutely no doubt, standing there in the hallway outside their bedroom, what was going on with her fiancé.

She stood, unable to look away from the train wreck of her own life. Heard the lust and the love in his voice.

"Look at me, baby. Look at me when you come."

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Tanya moved over Mike, rocking slowly, her head tilted back, loving how he felt moving inside her. His hands were on her tiny waist, just above the flair of her hips, controlling her movements. He moved to meet her at every thrust, his eyes closed and face screwed up in pleasure. A gust of breath burst from his lips.

"Uh," he groaned, and he threw his head back. "Yeah, baby. Grind that juicy pussy on me." His eyes opened, and they were glazed over with passion. "Look at me, baby," he growled. "Look at me when you come."

Tanya whimpered, and he let go of her hips. She went wild, bouncing up and down on him, her breasts jiggling with each rebound of his hips. She was trying to be quiet, he could tell.

"Scream, baby," he said, reaching down to press his thumb against her clit. "I wanna hear you."

"Oh, fuck!" A stream of obscenities flew from her mouth as she clenched around him. He groaned, spilling into her, still pumping until she collapsed on top of him, and he couldn't move anymore.

He chuckled. "Not too bad for five minutes, huh?"

"Mudak," she giggled.

Mike rolled her onto her side, grinning when she didn't stop giggling. "Excuse me?" he said, beaming down at her. "I don't speak Russian."

"I called you an asshole." She was smirking up at him now. "True, yes?"

Mike seized her wrists and put them above her head. She stared up at him with wide eyes, and he leaned down next to her ear. "Asshole?" he asked. "I hope that's where you'd like me to fuck you next and not an insult. I just made you come three times in five minutes." She shuddered, and he grinned. "Is that something you want?" _Please_ let it be something she wanted. He'd fantasized about her ass, imagined fucking it when she called him at work to play on slow afternoons.

He was therefore elated when she nodded. _Fuck yes!_ "You're a dirty little thing, you know? Wanting me to fuck you there." He let his fingers wander down to her center again, finding her still wet. He dragged his fingers across her before trailing them back to her butt. "You think you're such a sophisticated lady, and you like it up the ass?" He tisked at her, pulling her over to lay on her belly. Faster than he knew himself capable, he was on his knees and hard again. He thrust back inside her, his fingers going to her other entrance. She moaned, her face turning to the side so she could watch him. She pushed back against his hips, and watched hungrily as his fingers played with her.

"Please," she moaned. "Please, I want it."

He didn't ask her, warn her, or double check if it was okay. He didn't need to. She was begging him, watching his every move. Gently, slowly, he slid one finger into her, and her reaction was instantaneous. She bucked against him, reaching her climax immediately. Unprepared, he came with her again, groaning and panting like a teenage boy. She was screaming, and he heard his own cries of pleasure, loud and violent.

They landed, him still inside her, spooned together, her legs twined with his. He reached up to tuck her curls behind her ear so he could kiss her neck. She smiled and scooted closer to him, if it were possible. She was so perfect—willing to let him be in control, but entirely capable of putting him in his place when necessary. Beautiful, funny, extremely smart and sharp witted.

The words came out before he'd actually decided to say them.

"I love you," he whispered.

He expected her to bolt from the room, or to start crying. He wasn't prepared when she opened her eyes to look up into his, giving him a little smile. "I love you, too," she whispered, her sweet breath fanning across his face.

He felt dizzy, ecstatic, terrified, euphoric, shocked, and a million other indefinable emotions. He leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. They moved gently against his, never opening enough for him to _really_ kiss her. He'd asked her about it, and she'd shrugged, smiled, and said she'd explain it to him one day—on the same day when she _really_ kissed him and blew his socks off. Now, though, he was content with her chaste kisses, which opposed the way she thrust her hips back against him, laughing.

"Jesus, baby, you must really love me," she said, and she sounded as giddy as he felt. "You're so hard already."

"I'm always hard for you," he groaned, pulling out to roll her onto her back. He wanted to look at her. "You're so fucking sexy."

She put her cool hand against his hot cheek and gazed up at him as he thrust slowly back into her. So slowly, he thrust in and out, suddenly gentle. "I love you," she whispered, staring up at him as he moved.

His blue eyes, almost out of focus with pleasure, were attached to hers. It was like he was staring at something beyond her soul. What came after your soul? "I love you so much," he whispered, and he pressed his lips to hers again.

After their lovemaking and more declarations, Mike grudgingly admitted that he was late for work. He'd rolled out of bed, stretching his arms over his head. She pulled the blanket up to cover herself as she leaned against the headboard.

"When are you going to tell her?" she asked abruptly, her eyes following his every move.

"Soon," he said, heaving a sigh. She'd been asking him for so long now already. She was running out of patience, and he felt like he was running out of time.

"You said that two weeks ago," Tanya said, and there was undeniable venom in her voice. Her accent began to become heavier, and it caused the words to pull and stress in strange places. "What have you been doing? Picking out wedding china?"

"Why does the timeframe matter so much to you?" he asked, throwing his hands out. "I'm not speaking to her, or even sleeping in the same room as her. She has no idea what's going on, and she's going to go off like Mount St. Helen's!"

Tanya huffed and leaned back a bit more against the headboard. He crossed the room to her in three long strides, sitting down next to her and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I love you," he whispered. "Decades couldn't change that."

Her eyes shot up to his. "Forever?"

Mike laughed, cupping her face in his hand. "If we were still alive at the end of the world, I'd still be head over heels for you," he said, feeling a little surprised when he realized the truth of those words.

With surprising strength, Tanya wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. She took in a shuddering breath. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too, baby," he whispered. It felt so good to say, like he'd never really meant the words to anyone else before saying them to her today. "I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Yeah."

Work for the rest of the afternoon was slow. Isaac had given him an odd look when he'd shown up fifteen minutes later than he'd intended, but Mike had started him on several tasks to keep his mind occupied. He locked himself in the office and kept up on paperwork until an hour before the end of Isaac's shift, when he returned to the store to help Isaac on the floor. The kid seemed to have forgotten that Mike was late by the time he left, and Mike locked the store up, feeling pretty good.

The drive home was ordinary, at best. The wipers swished back and forth to keep the rain off, and the radio hummed softly in the background. Fuck it. Tonight, he decided, as he pulled into the driveway and parked next to her car. Another couple of days wasn't going to do any good. Feeling like shit, he shut off the engine and climbed out of the car. He stood in the rain for several minutes, just staring at the house. Vaguely, he wondered why she hadn't come to the door to meet him, if she'd heard the door slam.

Inside, he slowly removed his shoes, bending down to untie the laces. When he stood, he jumped a little.

Jessica stood at the end of the hall. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her feet were planted shoulder width apart. Her face was stony, but he could see in the dim light from the bedroom that her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. She'd been crying.

_Fuck_.

"How long?" she asked.

Mike blinked, still a little disorientated. "'How long,' what?" he asked, slowly straightening up.

"How long have you been sleeping with her?" There was no uncertainty in her voice.

Nothing would help now. There would be no easing her into this, sitting her down and trying to stay calm. "Since you went to Milwaukee," he said. "I've been seeing her for a month and a half." He closed the main door, shutting off the sound filtering in through the storm door. "How long have you known?"

Her chin jutted up a bit, a gesture he recognized. She was trying not to cry. "Since this afternoon. I came home to see why you weren't eating at work this week." He opened his mouth, every intention to apologize to her for hurting her—anything to make her hate him a little less. He didn't love her, but he still cared what happened to her. She cut him off, though, when she held up a hand to silence him and said, "I want half."

Mike blanched at her. "Half of what?"

"Half of everything, or I tell everyone what an ass you are." She glared at him. "Your reputation would be ruined and as for the store—" She laughed. "Well, maybe you should just close it up now."

"I don't care," he said. And right now, he didn't. He'd leave town. Go to Alaska with Tanya, open the new store. His dad had okay-ed a new store just last week. He'd agree that this was the perfect time to scout a location. "You can have whatever you want. Take the whole damn house, I don't care. I have an entire account you don't even know about." It was true. He didn't really think about it often, but there was a good chunk of change there. He'd been adding to it more since he'd started seeing Tanya. "I'm leaving." He walked down the hallway past her, and into the bedroom.

He was throwing shirts into a suitcase when she came in like a whirlwind. She was holding one of his basketball trophies from high school. She threw it at him and he ducked. It missed and broke against the wall behind him.

"What does she have that I don't have?" Jessica screamed. Her eyes were huge, and now that he was closer, he could smell alcohol on her breath. She'd geared herself up for this one. Great. "What is it, her tits? She's got a nice rack." She grabbed the suitcase from under his hands and threw it to the floor. Mike inhaled through his nose, trying not to shout back. It wouldn't make things any better. "Or, what, is she rich? Totally loaded, and you can live off her instead of working?"

"What, like you live off me?" He threw the suitcase back onto the bed and turned back to the closet for more clothes. "I have money saved up, and we're planning to open a second store. I'll just start over. There's nothing you can do if I don't tell you where I'm going."

"Oh, I'll find out," she growled. She stepped around the bed and shoved him away from the suitcase. "You call that whore right now and tell her you're not coming back. I will not be humiliated for you!" She was seething, he could see it.

He reached out for the suitcase, and she slapped his arm, hard, before using her other hand to slap his face. "You will _not_ embarrass me." When he reached around her for the suitcase, she slapped him again. "You worthless piece of shit! She'll leave you!"

"She won't leave me," he spat. "She loves me."

Jessica laughed mockingly. "Oh, she loves you, does she? She's full of shit. She wants your money and your car and…"

"If you were really here today, you saw her car," he shouted, feeling the water start to boil. "She doesn't need _anything_ from me!"

"You don't love her," Jessica said.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't." She was glaring up at him, and he jerked when she slapped him again. "She's nothing more than a cheap whore." He turned away to reach for the suitcase again, needing something to do with his hands before he strangled her. "You look at me when I'm talking to you!"

She jerked his arm violently, and he spun. It was a reflex—he knew another hit was coming, and he was done. Past done. Burned. His hand flew up, the back of it slamming into her face.

It wasn't slow motion, like you saw in the movies. It was so fast he didn't even realize what had happened.

Until he realized what she'd hit her head against—the sharp corner of a table she'd insisted needed to go _right there._

Then he saw the blood.

He did everything you were supposed to. He applied pressure—nothing. It just kept gushing. He tried mouth to mouth, but nothing, again. For five minutes, he tried everything.

He didn't have his phone on him, and God knew where hers was. He checked her pulse.

Nothing.

Panicking, hoisted her up, maybe thinking of going to the neighbors, but the gravity of what had happened sunk in when her head slammed limply against the wall with a sickening crack. More blood. Blood streaking the walls. His arms went limp, and she fell to the floor, blood pooling around her head. How was she bleeding so much when she was already dead?

He was going to be sick.

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One hour. One more miserable hour until she could see him again. Tanya paced back and forth again and again, flitting from the piano, to the couch, to the window, and back again, as if it would make him come any faster. It was getting dark out. He'd be here soon, in her arms, and she could tell him she loved him again, and get to hear him say it back.

The afternoon had dragged for her. After Mike had left, she'd dressed slowly, putting on the same clothes she'd worn when she arrived—hooded sweatshirt, jeans, rubber boots—and climbed into Bella's car. The drive home had been quiet and the silence was heavy on her sensitive ears. She had spent her afternoon packing and unpacking, the repeating the process, ending with one packed suitcase. Just in case he decided tonight was the night to leave _her_.

Her phone rang, and in her frenzied state, it was in her hand and answered before the first ring was half over. It was Alice.

"Hey, Alice," Tanya said, peering out the window. "What's—"

"You have to go to Mike's house, right now, before he calls the cops." Alice's voice was rushed. "Go—run through the woods to the back of his house. You've gone there before, just go, and I'll explain while you run."

Tanya had never questioned Alice once in sixty years, and now was not the time to start. She was out the front door and running an instant later, and Alice was talking top speed.

"No time for details. Just get there as fast as you can. Make up an excuse about the car. Tell him you were out jogging, or something. You'll have a chance to get it later. Just go straight inside, don't knock. The back door is unlocked and no one will see you. Whatever you do, hold your breath until you see. Keep running!" She was almost to the house. "All the way to the back door. No one will see you, just don't stop!"

She blew in the back door and skidded to a halt. "I'm here." A little held air escaped, but she didn't inhale.

"I'll call later." Alice hung up without as much as a goodbye.

Slowly, Tanya crept into the house. She heard a sound she was familiar with, but hadn't heard in a while—vomiting. Someone was violently ill.

_Whatever you do, hold your breath until you see._

Did she have to see him? Was he hurt? She shot around the corner through the kitchen and into the hall and stopped as quickly as she'd moved.

She'd seen Jessica three times. Once, at the wedding. The second and third times were spying on her, once during the day, and once before she went to bed, when she fought with Mike.

This fourth time was nothing like the first two.

…_hold your breath until you see._

Jessica lay in a pool of blood. Tanya held on to the remaining breath and surveyed the scene more closely. Blood matted Jessica's hair, and as she stepped a little closer, Tanya could feel and sense that this was spoiled blood. There was so much, though. She took a few steps closer to the door, prepared to bolt if she needed, and inhaled sharply.

The scent was still so tempting. This blood would sicken her if she were to partake of it, but it was like barely spoiled milk to a human—still okay to use on cereal. Tanya didn't move, trying to focus on other things. It smelled like _her_, almost too bittersweet and cloying. Just like her. And there was the strong tang of alcohol spoiling the scent, and something else. Cocaine. The bitch had been a junkie. The smell became bearable, and she gingerly stepped further down the hall.

A trail of blood went from the bedroom to the hall, and there was a smear of blood on the wall. Tanya's sharp vision noted a wiry black hair in the blood—her head must have hit the wall somehow. What had he done?

The man in question was huddled on the bathroom floor when she finally stepped around the mess in the hall to find him. He was drenched in sweat, and the bathroom smelled strongly of vomit. He groaned when he saw her.

"Go away," he muttered. "Not… you shouldn't be here."

Resolutely, Tanya located a clean washcloth and soaked it with cold water from the tap. She dripped the sopping cloth over his chest and face and he seemed to wake up a little.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head, staring down at his hands. "She kept slapping me and I just wanted her to leave me alone, and I just… snapped." He stared morosely up at her. "You need to get out of town, Tanya. You don't need to be in the middle of this."

"You didn't call the cops, did you?" Was she too late, after all?

"Not yet. My phone's outside."

Tanya's phone rang at that moment. She stared down at Mike where he sat, propping himself up against the wall. "Don't do anything or go anywhere." She leaned down and pressed her lips against his. He inhaled sharply, and his hands were on the front of her shirt. She pulled away. "I love you," she whispered, then answered the phone. "I'm busy, Alice."

"I know." Alice sounded a little exasperated. "I'm calling to tell you your options and see what happens."

"Okay."

"Alright. Have you seen _Dexter_?"

Tanya blinked. "The TV show?"

"Yes." Alice sounded relieved. "You're going to dump her body into the ocean, a la Dexter. Get rid of Mike for a while—tell him to get some rest or take a bath or something. Get rid of the body, but make sure not to leave a trail for the cops. Charlie'll track down anything."

Tanya grimaced. She hated the idea of doing this, but it was about all she could do.

"How?"

"Go north of Quielute territory. Jake's ordered everyone not to phase tonight, so you won't run into the wolves."

"Tell him thanks for me, yeah?" she asked, feeling a great deal of affection right now for Jacob.

"Of course. He's not real happy about it, but since we weren't directly responsible and he knows that Mike would make you happy, he's going along grudgingly." She could hear the smile in Alice's voice. "Get rid of Mike somehow so he won't see anything. It will take you twenty-five minutes to run north and dump the body, and get back. It will take you thirty minutes to clean up all the blood. Don't forget the trophy in the bedroom." Details. All she could do was give details, Tanya realized. With Mike right in front of her, she couldn't ask any questions. "Tanya." Alice's voice was cutting. "I can't tell you anything else unless you make a decision. Is this what you're going to do?"

Tanya thought for a moment. "Yes."

"Hold on, Edward wants to talk to you." Alice's voice was softer now. "I'm really happy for you, Tanya." Then she was gone.

Edward's voice broke in, and it was gentle. "You're going to have to tell him. Alice can't see when, or how, but you don't really have a choice."

"So what do I do now?"

"Get rid of Mike for an hour. That's enough time to get rid of the body, get Bella's car, and get him out of town. Tell him to leave everything behind. There can't be a trail, or anything that can point to him, or foul play. Clean everything."

"How am I supposed to get him to the car? I shouldn't show up at all."

"Carlisle's left some morphine in a drawer upstairs. Use that, knock him out, and carry him. He won't argue. Tanya," Edward said, "I know your head is spinning, but this will work. You're resigned to it. Alice can see that."

"Okay." Tanya took a deep breath and smiled weakly at Mike. "And the Italian police? Are they going to be looking for us?"

_Italian police?_ Mike mouthed.

Tanya shook her head as Edward answered. "No reason for suspicion."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Glad to know they're not involved."

"Go," Edward said, "you're running out of time."

The connection died, and Tanya stared at the phone. She stared at it for a moment, and came to a decision.

"Mike?"

"Yeah." Mike clung to her hand.

"It's going to be okay," she said slowly. "I just need you to trust me. Do you?"

"Yes," Mike said slowly.

"We're not going to call the cops," she said firmly. "I'm going to get rid of the body and clean up while you take a long, hot shower. Can you give me an hour?"

Mike blanched at her. "That's not enough time."

Tanya grimaced. "Enough for me."

"Have you…" Mike swallowed, and frowned. "Have you killed someone before?"

"Just trust me, Mike," Tanya said softly, sliding her arms around his waist and holding to his side, "when I tell you there are things about me I can't explain to you right now. But I promise, when the time is right, I'll explain."

"How did you get here, anyway?" Mike asked. "I didn't hear your car."

"I…" Tanya trailed off. "I was jogging," she blurted, not thinking.

"In that?" He raised an eyebrow, and the hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I've never seen anyone actually jog in heals."

Tanya glanced down and realized that she was still wearing a Baby Phat jumpsuit and Manolo's. "One of those things I'll explain later." She kissed him again. "Just trust me."

"I just killed my fiancée and you're offering to hide the body." Mike stared at her like she was nuts. "Why would I not trust you? You think I wanna go to jail? You think they'd believe I didn't mean to kill her, that the woman made me momentarily psychotic and I backhanded her and knocked her head on a table and killed her?" Mike shuddered. "I'm gonna be sick again."

"That's fine, just don't come out until I tell you."

Mike vomited in response.

Tanya darted to the garage. The first weekend she'd come here, he'd given her a tour of the house. It was attached to the garage, which held a large variety of camping gear, which he'd jokingly suggested they try out.

She quickly gathered two large tarps, some bungee cord, and a bucket of cleaning supplies, including bleach and ammonia.

Two minutes later, Jessica Stanley was mummified by a vampire. The irony was a little amusing, Tanya had to admit, as she tore out of the house, the corpse over her shoulder. It was wrapped in a tarp, bound up with bungee chords, and then wrapped again in a plastic sheet used for painting. She'd taped her up with clear packing tape so that nothing would come loose, and made her way quickly and easily forty miles to the north.

Skidding to a halt at the top of the cliff, Tanya frowned down at the body as she tied concrete blocks to her. "You know," she said, "none of this would have happened if you weren't such a bitch. Not that I wanted you dead, or anything. But this wouldn't have happened if you weren't so… pushy." She tied the ropes a little tighter. "I haven't had to hide a body in over twenty years, and I'm not looking forward to this. If I ruin these shoes, it's your fault." And with that, she dove off the cliff, the corpse in her arms.

Just like so many times in decades and centuries past, Tanya swam out a couple of miles and let Jessica go, not watching as she sank to the bottom. She turned, swimming at top speed, and was back in under a minute. She scaled the cliff and, without looking back, she was off, jetting through the trees at top speed. All she could think of was getting back to him. She'd been gone for a while already, and she still needed to clean the mess up before letting Mike out of the bathroom. Maybe she'd put it off for a while, go sit with him…

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. Alice again. "Yes, Alice."

"Don't wait," Alice burst out. "When he sees all the blood, he feels guilty and calls the cops to confess everything! Do it now." She was at the house, and she stared at the back door. "You're wasting time. The faster you get out of there, the better."

Tanya groaned and headed back inside, now unbothered by the smell of the blood everywhere. Fortunately for her, Jessica's hideous floor runners had soaked up a lot of the blood and had not soaked through, because for some odd reason, the bitch had left the plastic on the bottom. Nothing had soaked through. Thank God. There was just the matter of the blood on the walls and the table where she'd hit her head.

After wrapping the runners and blood-soaked paper towels in another tarp, she set them outside. There was no scent of blood that any dog could pick up on. The only thing missing were the carpet runners and Mike's broken trophy. She wondered when that had happened. She raced back to the big white house in the woods, dumping the runner into the fireplace and setting it off, the smell of the cheap carpet's burning filling her nostrils. The tarp went upstairs, and she quickly washed it off, clean of blood, before wrapping it up and storing it in a back corner of the garage. She said a quick prayer that the house wouldn't catch fire in her absence, and rushed back out into the rain.

By the time she arrived, Mike had finished his shower. He stood in the clean hallway looking around. He stared up at her, something similar to fear in his eyes. "Do I want to know how you did that so fast?" he asked.

_Rule number one: Lie_. "I used to clean crime scenes when I was in college," she said, pulling something that made sense. "It was good money."

Mike nodded, still staring at her. The fear was slowly ebbing away to be placed by a hard, unreadable mask. Tanya felt a little twinge of her own fear—what was he thinking? What would he say to her?

"Why haven't you freaked out, or anything?" he asked. His face was like stone. "A normal person would freak out."

"It's not the first time I've seen a dead body," Tanya said.

"But you weren't responsible for one." Mike was staring.

"Says who?" Tanya felt a bitter smile cross her face. "You have no idea who I am, or what I'm capable of."

"Should I be scared of you?"

"Probably."

He took a few steps down the hallway and pulled her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. "I'm not scared of you," he whispered. "You're the only person I can trust right now."

Tanya took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his skin, the blood underneath it, and the fading tang of ammonia. "I need you to trust me a little more."

"How?" His lips pressed against her ear. "Tell me what you need."

"I need to knock you out for a little," Tanya said softly. "You can't see what I'm about to do, so I want to give you a morphine injection." She squeezed his waist softly. "Maybe it'll help you get some rest."

"Where'd you get morphine?" he asked, pulling back and raising his eyebrows. "You carry drugs with you when you jog?"

_Jogging._ Right. She was supposed to have been jogging, and she didn't have a car. His started loudly, so he would have heard it—it was parked outside the bathroom window.

_Lie. Make something up._

Then Edward's words from earlier came back to her, and she paused. _You're going to have to tell him. Alice can't see when, or how, but you don't really have a choice._

"Mike," she said, sighing softly, "there's a lot about me that just won't make sense if I tell you in bits and pieces. I'll tell you eventually, but for now, trust me."

"But where'd you get it?" he asked, looking a little concerned. "You didn't break into the hospital or something, did you?"

"No." She grinned. "Carlisle gave me permission to break into his home office."

"Huh." Mike's eyes glazed over a little, like he was focused on something else. "What was that about the Italian police?" he asked. "Are you some kind of international criminal?"

She shot him with a needle.

"Not a criminal," she said, smiling. "Just a pot stirrer."

He smiled and slumped against her.

_a/n Whew! Long chapter, but it wouldn't cut down at all. Sorry the update was so slow. I haven't been connected to the outside world for over a week. At all. Ever. But I moved and I'm happier now! I know you're reading this. So go review. Peace!_


	9. Road Trip

_a/n Much shorter chapter. It just happened. You'll notice there's lots of sleeping. But still some sexiness. Enjoy.  
_

**CHAPTER 9—ROAD TRIP **

Mike slept in a haze of dreams. A deep haze, so far below any surface it was like being at the center of the earth.

Colors swirled around him—blues, greens, golds that matched Tanya's eyes and looked beautiful against her bare skin.

So much red. Red paint, red water, red silk sheets wrapped around Tanya's body.

Red blood.

Blood.

Mike felt like he was floating in a sea of red. Resurfacing took time.

Blackout. Nothing. No red, but no beautiful gold, either.

Red again. This time, red light. Like light filtered through autumn trees.

Fade to blue, to a night sky, but a sky of liquid. Dark blue liquid with little dots of silver and white.

Red again. Like the sunrise.

Mike could feel his hands. The surface wasn't so far now. He could almost feel his body again.

He could hear her voice, muffled and stressed. Stressed… why?

"_No, I'm taking the long way around… Yes, through Seattle… No, we've already crossed the border."_

Border?

Slowly, laboriously, he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar scene.

Rain was drizzling, making the sky dark. For a moment, he wondered if he'd only been asleep for a few minutes—the sky looked more or less the same as it had when he'd come home from work.

Tanya was still talking. She was on the phone with someone.

"I know, and I was very careful not to pass through their territory," she said, rolling her eyes. "Jesus, Edward, give me _some_ credit—I'm not a total moron." There was a pause, then she laughed. "Okay, well, tell Jake to give me some credit. I've been around the block a few times. He's got nothing to worry about, and I didn't even do anything."

_Territory?_ What was she talking about? He sniffed, a morning sound, and shifted a little in his seat. It was like the night before, with the "Italian police." It was like she was speaking in code, saying things that didn't make sense.

"I need to go," she said, glancing over at him and smiling slightly. "He's awake." Another pause from her was followed by a string of words he didn't understand—Russian, he assumed. Then she hung up, putting the phone on a clip on the dash. He thought for a moment it was a GPS, as well, but there was nothing, and the little screen went dark.

"Where are we?" he muttered, sitting up a little straighter.

"Canada," she said. She smiled over at him. "Good morning."

"Is it morning?" Mike blinked. "I'm out of it."

"It's about half of seven," she said.

Mike nodded, trying to keep cool. Awake, he was starting to remember why exactly he'd been asleep for so long in the first place.

_So much blood…_

"You need to pull over," Mike ground out from between his teeth. "I'm gonna be sick."

The little car screeched to a halt, and Mike half fell, half crawled, from his seat. He knelt on the side of the road in the cold rain, vomiting uncontrollably. After about a minute, he felt a cold hand on his neck. He realized the he'd stopped throwing up, and that the shaking taking over his body was coming from huge, choking sobs that were bubbling up uncontrollably.

"We need to get back in the car," she whispered, and he managed to nod. He tried to stand, and felt his knees give out.

He expected to feel pavement under his hands again.

Instead, he felt Tanya's hands slip under his arms and hoist him easily off the ground again. She half-carried him back to the car and leaned him back inside. His mind registered that she shouldn't have been able to lift him so easily. He wasn't fat, but he was still taller and more muscular than she was. She should have struggled a bit, but when she was back in the car, she wasn't even breathing hard.

His mind flashed back to the night before.

"_Just trust me, Mike, when I tell you there are certain things about me I can't explain to you right now. But I promise, when the time is right, I'll explain."_

She'd then hidden Jessica's body and cleaned the hall and bedroom in just an hour.

"Everything will be fine," Tanya said softly, not taking her eyes from the road. "The cops won't figure anything out. There's no evidence."

"What if they bring in bloodhounds?" Mike asked, his brain still spinning.

"They won't find anything." She sounded very sure of this. _…there are certain things about me I can't explain…_

Mike felt his hands start to shake. Who _was_ she? How had she cleaned up so quickly? Was she really a real estate agent? Or did she use the real estate to hide the bodies?

What bodies? Was she some kind of assassin?

The shaking in his hands started to spread up his arms, and he shivered uncontrollably. Was she a serial killer? Was he her next victim?

But _she_ hadn't killed anyone.

He had killed someone. Killed his, soon-to-be, ex-fiancée with his bare hands.

His thoughts reeled out of control, and the shaking spread. He curled up in his seat, shaking from head to toe.

He didn't realize the car had stopped until he heard the passenger door open. He was about to open his eyes to see what was going on, but he was hoisted suddenly out of the car. He felt himself being carried, and he was confused.

He opened his eyes.

Tanya's face was above him, and it felt like he was floating along. He felt her cool arms cradled under him, carrying him. _She_ was carrying him. And she seemed unaffected, like he was weightless.

Her arms shifted again, and he heard the slide and click of a hotel door unlocking. A door opened, and she was across the room faster than should have been possible. It was truly bizarre.

Carefully, as if he would break at any time, she lowered him onto the cheap, bleached sheets—where the comforter had gone was beyond him. He shook on the bed, and she sat beside him, rubbing his back. He heard a ringing of music—her phone—then felt her shift to answer it. "Hello?"

There was a long pause where Tanya didn't speak. After a minute or so, she said softly, "Alright. We'll head out tomorrow. And you'll meet us in Anchorage the day after that?" Another pause, this one brief. "Alright. That's probably wise. I'll see you then. Goodbye, Alice."

_Alice?_ Mike's mind spun back to the night before. She'd been on the phone. _I'm busy, Alice._ Alice. Alice Cullen. What would Alice Cullen have to say to Tanya that was so important it would make her pause in the middle of a murder scene?

…_things about me I can't explain…_

Tanya's hands resumed their gentle rubbing. She curled up behind him, rubbing up and down his back. The shaking gradually slowed until it had almost stopped entirely. Only the occasional shudder ripped through him.

"Who was on the phone?" he asked after one particularly rough shake.

"Alice." Tanya's hands didn't stop their movements. "She's going to meet up with us in Anchorage. She's flying in from New Hampshire the day after tomorrow." Her lips brushed against the back of his neck as she got closer to him, and it felt like jolts of electricity. He shuddered again, this time with desire, when her cool tongue darted out to toy with the nape of his neck, just below the line of his shirt. Her hands moved from his back to his front.

"Ah." Made sense, he guessed. His thoughts were still hazy. Suddenly, there was only one thing he wanted.

He was lying in a warm hotel with a beautiful woman lying next to him. No one was following them. No one had stopped them. She'd driven over twelve hours up into Canada and they hadn't been stopped.

They were safe.

He wanted to make sure it was real, so he rolled over, shoving Tanya onto her back. She caught on quickly.

He took her roughly, and she showed her supreme appreciation.

He felt everything—every movement, the feeling of the sheets moving around their entwined legs, each kiss—and heard every sound. She was as real as anything. It wasn't a dream.

Dreams weren't this good.

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Mike had been sleeping for about three hours since he'd collapsed, exhausted from their lovemaking. He was curled up, his panic subsided, just as Alice had said he would be. She'd called to warn her that the panic she had noticed was about to spiral out of control, and to get him to a hotel and into bed as soon as possible.

"I wasn't looking for this," Alice had said, sounding a little embarrassed, "but you're going to have to have sex with him. It's what is going to calm him down best. Seduce him. You're good at that."

So she had. He'd reacted quickly, flipping over to hover over her prone form. She still wore her jumpsuit and heals, and he'd unbuttoned her front and shoved her clothes down around her knees, barely pausing to shove his own pants down just enough to take her.

The second time, their clothes had been off, with the exception of the vintage, strappy purple Manolos she wore. Those, he'd liked, so he'd ordered her to leave them on.

He had fallen asleep immediately after, and she lay next to him, toying with his light hair, until morning came again. She was little incredulous that someone could sleep so much—he'd been awake for two, maybe three hours, and had fallen immediately back asleep.

He was utterly exhausted.

Blue eyes blinked open around seven in the morning. "Don't you ever sleep?" he muttered, wrapping an arm around her waist and moving closer to him.

_"You're going to have to tell him. Alice can't see when, or how, but you don't really have a choice."_

Edward's words echoed in her head, and she answered Mike's seemingly innocent and light question. "No."

"No, what?"

"No, I don't ever sleep." She stared down at him. "I haven't slept since…" She paused, then smiled slightly. "It's been a long time."

Mike blinked. "I'm still asleep, or you're full of shit."

"You're awake, and I'm serious." She recalled this dazed face, in a different context, from the day before. "Aren't you the littlest bit curious as to how I carried you out of the car and upstairs?"

Mike's eyes focused a little bit. "Yeah," he said slowly. "You didn't even break a sweat. I mean, I'm not fat, but I'm a guy and you're this tall and thin chick. And you moved fast." He blinked again, this time in remembrance. "Really fast."

"Yes," she said softly. "I won't give you details now—you're still a little overwhelmed, I'm sure."

"Yeah," he said. "That's something else—how do you know what you're doing?"

"You know those details I'm giving you later?"

"Yeah."

"I'll tell you then. Or maybe you'll figure it out." She smiled at him. "Now, what would you like for breakfast?"

The rest of the day was a mixed bag. They drove on, and while Mike was certainly in better humor today, he was still melancholy. He explained somewhere in the Yukon that he wasn't depressed that Jessica was gone. Just the opposite—he was upset that he felt relieved. She knew the angst would pass over time, and that time alone would lessen his guilt.

It was also the day Mike noticed that she didn't eat.

Around eight that evening, when they had pulled over in another hotel and were lying in bed, Mike suddenly said, "So, when are you going to explain the fact that I've never seen you eat, and you didn't eat anything today?"

Tanya blinked. He was staring up at the ceiling, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. It had come out of nowhere.

"I'm just… not hungry today," she said. "It's one of those things I'll explain later."

"You're not anorexic, are you?" Tanya burst out laughing, and he frowned. "I don't think it's funny."

"You couldn't be more wrong, darling," she laughed, and she curled onto her side to bury into the warm nook of his arms.

By her estimates, it would take them another five hours to get to Anchorage, if she would be able to keep speeding. Tomorrow, her family would be here. Tomorrow, things would start to seem _very_ abnormal to him.

"You should get some sleep," she whispered against his flesh. "We've got a long day tomorrow. We're not going to the airport until after nine tomorrow night, and then we've got four hours to get home."

"Jesus." Mike looked back down at her, cocking an eyebrow. "I'd ask if you want to sleep in, but apparently, you don't sleep."

"Nope." Tanya smiled.

"Don't eat _or_ sleep?" He shook his head, and she could feel his heartbeat increase with nerves. His danger instincts were kicking in. "Seriously, are you even human?"

"Details," Tanya said, smiling as she kissed the tip of his nose. "Go to sleep. We'll leave whenever you wake up."

"Yeah, like I'm going to sleep knowing you're awake all night."

"You've _always_ slept while I've been awake."

"But now I know." He switched off the light and rolled onto his side, facing her. "How come you don't sleep?"

"Details."

"Fuck details, I need to know this shit."

He frowned, and she reached up to smooth away the lines. They didn't belong on his baby face. "You wouldn't sleep at all if I told you now," she said, still smiling slightly. "Soon. When you're awake enough to process everything."

He slept restlessly that night, tossing and turning, crying out more than usual in his sleep.

She called Alice around one. She was about to board the plane with Edward and Jasper, and Bella was tagging along.

"For emotional support," Alice had explained.

"I don't need emotional support," Tanya whispered, glancing at her sleeping lover as he rolled over yet again.

"Not for you," Alice said, "for Mike. You're going to tell him soon. I saw us playing football six months from now when there's an epic storm, and Mike's with us."

"Really?" Tanya blinked. "So he'll stay, then?"

"The details of getting to that point are a little fuzzy," Alice said, and Tanya could hear the frown in her voice. "But the end result seems to be concrete. It looks like we're going to be stuck with Mike," she added, her voice raising slightly. In the background, she heard what sounded like Edward groaning, then a smack, and a cry of surprise.

"She just smacked me!" Edward's voice was shocked, and Bella's peals of laughter tinkled merrily in the background.

"How am I going to explain—"

"You don't know, so I don't know." Alice sounded frustrated. "You have too many options you're considering. I wish you'd just make a decision, already. It would make my job easier." Another background sound—a loudspeaker, announcing a Cape Air flight to Boston. "That's us. I have to go. I'll call you when we hit Seattle in a few hours." The line disconnected.

It was a long time before Mike awoke.

_a/n This chapter was surprisingly hard to write. Sorry it took so long. It'll probably keep up like this. I have to put a lot of thought to write two paragraphs. But I'm sticking to my plan—we have not yet deviated from the outline! Score is me—1, ADD—0._

_Leave reviews. Tell your friends. Tell them to leave reviews._

_Also, beware—I'm feeling an outtake. A tasty one. Involving the mile high club…_


	10. Minor Details

_a/n Before reading this, I'd like to characterize Newton a little more. We've only seen him from the point of view of Bella and Edward. In reality (where we live), Mike's a good looking, much liked, sweetheart guy most women would kill for. Let's be honest—the kid's just damn lovable!_

**CHAPTER 10—MINOR DETAILS**

The borrowed Ferrari pulled to a stop, and Mike got out, looking around in awe. He'd thought Washington was vast and green.

He was standing in front of a sizable lake in the woods, in the middle of a city.

"Wow," he said softly, glancing to his left as a family climbed out of a nearby car. "Too bad it's not a little nicer weather."

"That's July in Alaska," Tanya said, smiling as she exited the other side of the car. "Never sure when you'll get a cloudy or rainy day. It is quiet lovely when it's sunny."

"At least it's light more." Mike smiled and leaned against the front of the car. "I don't know how I'm going to handle it being dark the whole time. Isn't it disorientating?"

"You learn to appreciate the night," she said, and her voice was passionate, her accent slipping in more heavily. "The colors are so beautiful. Twilight can go on for hours, and the shades of purples and pinks and blues…" She sat down next to him and wrapped an arm through his. "Then there are the auroras. It's all so beautiful. The night is quite lovely. Day is more predictable." She laughed softly. "Still, it is quite lovely here when it's sunny, you're correct."

Mike burst out laughing. "Jesus, do you not like daytime or something?"

She shrugged. "Details," she said, smiling coyly.

Again with the details. He frowned. "Why won't you tell me _anything_ that makes sense?"

Tanya's smile had faded with his. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I've never had to explain it before—I don't really know how."

Heaving a sigh, Mike reclined a little further. "So far, we've ironed out that you don't eat or sleep. Ever. We've got three hours until we need to go to the airport. Tell me _something_," he begged. He couldn't wrap his mind around anything she'd told him so far, and though he feared more explanations would only raise more questions, he still wanted to know.

Needed to know.

Her face softened, and she slid off the hood, tugging him up after him with ease. "Walk with me?" she asked.

"Strength, too," he said, smiling as he twined his fingers through hers. "Why do I get the feeling you could kick my ass if you wanted to?"

"I can outrun you, too," she laughed.

They walked for a while, talking of nothing of consequence—favorite places, childhood homes. As it turned out, Tanya didn't remember much of her childhood. The memories seemed too distant for her, and she spoke of them as if they had happened a long time ago.

He asked her about old boyfriends, if she'd had many, and she burst out laughing.

"Oh, darling," she said, still chortling, "if only you knew."

Mike groaned and tugged on her hand. "Come on," he begged, "tell me something."

She sighed heavily, and her cool, sweet breath brushed his face. She led him to a park bench on the side of the trail and sat down. He stayed standing in front of her.

"You're the only man I've ever really loved," she said softly. "I've never felt this… attachment before. It's very strange to think that I don't believe myself capable of living without you ever again."

"Well, how many guys have you been with?" He was almost afraid to ask.

Her face crumpled a little, and he thought for a moment she would cry. He'd never seen her cry. "Thousands," she said, laughing without humor. "Literally. I've been around for quite a while."

Mike blinked. "That doesn't really bother me," he said quietly. "You didn't know me then. And I don't think I can live without you, either." It was strange. Even now, he felt something pulsing between them, like a gentle tug. He wanted to hold her, but he stayed where he was. He wanted to know more.

"It's me," she said, and her voice caught. "I'm the reason you feel that way."

"Well, yeah," he said, laughing briefly. The sound stopped when her head shook back and forth. "What?"

"I pull men in," she said, and her voice was thick. There were no tears on her face as she looked up at him, but they weren't necessary. "It's what I do—what I've always done."

"Yeah, but really, do they _all_ want you?" he asked. "I'm not trying to be an asshole," he said quickly. "I'm just curious."

She finally laughed. "Usually," she said, laughing shakily again. "I've only ever had two men be able to refuse me. One of them was just not my type, and happened to show up when I was bored. The other one liked me." She smiled up at him.

"I'm the second one, I hope."

"Yes." She smiled, softer now. "You're the only man who has ever made me nervous," she added, laughing again. Her accent was more pronounced now than it had ever been, and he realized that she was starting to let some guard down.

"So who was the first one?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

"A young man who, for most of his life, was riddled with angst that he placed upon himself." She smirked. "His name was Edward Cullen."

Mike stared down at her. What. The. Fuck. "I thought he was your cousin," Mike blurted, unable to keep the words in. Seriously, what the fuck?

"We call each other cousins," Tanya said, shrugging, "for lack of anything better. We're not even related—we're all just two big groups that developed into a family over time."

Mike shook his head. "Still fucked up."

"I suppose, in retrospect," she said thoughtfully. "Things would have been very different. But if things had worked out, I never would have met you. And I love you," she added. "I've never felt this before." She stared up at him with a guilty expression that tugged at his heartstrings. "I may pull you, but you pull me back."

Dropping to his knees on the dirt path, Mike stared straight into her eyes for the first time since pulling into Anchorage. "I _thought_ I knew what love was," he said, and he laughed. "Girls have always thought I was cute, I guess. But, in retrospect?" He cupped her heart-shaped face in his hands, and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, he smiled at her. "I'm glad I never got Bella Swan to like me that way. Not that, in retrospect, I really care. Edward's got no idea what he's missing."

She burst into delighted peals of laughter, pressing her lips to his again. "Oh, darling, you _are_ so different!" she giggled. "Charmer."

"Listen to that—the pot, calling the kettle black." He rolled his eyes. "So what else?"

"Later." Tanya smiled. "First, I want to take you to dinner."

"Sounds good." He stood, holding out his hand. When she was raised to her full height, at eye level with him, she smirked.

"Then, I'd like to take you in the parking lot before we go to the airport to pick up my family."

And with that, she dropped his hand and sauntered off, back to the car.

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"You're sure the flight isn't late?"

"I'm sure."

"You can't be too sure. We could always go back to the car for a few minutes, you know—they probably won't even be late. Maybe it was raining too much to take off."

"Mike, they're going to be here on time." Tanya smiled at her lover, squeezing his hand and pulling him a little closer. "Trust me," she said, her voice lowered, "I want you again. But you also have to trust me when I say I guarantee the flight will be on time."

"Cockblocker."

"Hey!" She raised an eyebrow. "I think I was more than gracious in the car." A smirk crossed her face. "And I believe you were more than satisfied."

Mike rolled his eyes and slowly began walking them toward the gate. They walked, taking their time, in silence for several minutes before he softly said, "Do they know?"

She didn't need to ask to what he was referring. "Yes, they know," she said. "They all know, and they don't care. It's of no consequence to any of them what happens to you, so you've no fear of being exposed."

"Huh." Mike nodded, and they continued walking.

They made their way to the little waiting area and sat down on the cheap chairs offered there, watching flights come in and go out. Then the flight from Seattle was announced, arriving in five minutes.

The five minutes waiting for the plane to arrive, then the five minutes after arrival, were entirely too slow for Tanya's liking.

Finally, after twelve minutes and thirty-seven seconds, the first passengers started to appear. First class first…

Alice was leading, towing Jasper along with one hand and clutching a copy of Italian Vogue with the other. She wore sunglasses and a floor length skirt with a long sleeved peasant top. Jasper was wearing his usual boots and hat, with the hat pulled a little lower than usual. Alice was shaking her head.

"Genius here decided to wear steal toed boots," she complained, poking her husband. "We had to stop at every security booth from here to New Hampshire." She greeted Tanya with a tight hug before turning to Mike. "Hey, Mike."

Mike blinked, his face oddly blank. "Hey, Alice." He nodded at Jasper.

Alice started chattering at Tanya about the flight. Apparently, she had extra bags after a rainy week in New York City had beckoned to Alice to stimulate the economy.

A moment later, Bella and Edward appeared, dressed, probably unintentionally, almost identically. Both wore comfortable jeans and white t-shirts with black jackets. It was unforgivable, as far as Tanya was concerned. Mike followed her stare, and she heard him exhale heavily. He crossed his arms and looked down at his shoes. Edward frowned behind his sunglasses.

_Is he freaking out?_ she asked him silently.

His lips tugged in a noncommittal expression and he half shrugged subtly. The couple stopped, and more hugs were exchanged. Gingerly, Tanya noticed, Bella wrapped her arms around Mike's rigid form. She whispered something in his ear, and he burst out laughing before hugging her back.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Any time," she said, grinning.

"You look good," he noted. He sounded so calm, but the racing of his heart gave away his nerves. "Sorry I didn't actually get to see you guys when you were down."

Bella shrugged. "Shit happens," she said. She turned to Tanya. "Did you wash my Ducati?"

Tanya laughed. "I just took your car across borders with a… person of interest, and you're worried about your motorcycle." She laughed again.

Mike frowned at this. "Bella, what are you even doing with one of those?" he asked. "You're lucky you haven't killed yourself yet." Jasper snorted, trying to stifle a laugh. Mike grinned. "Seriously, you fall over your own feet!"

Bella tossed her hair. "I do just fine," she said, and over dramatically walked off toward the baggage claim.

Edward rolled his eyes at Tanya. "You'll have to forgive my wife," he said quietly to Mike. "She's a little worked up today."

Twenty feet away, far from what should have been hearing range, Bella froze and her head snapped back. Her butterscotch eyes narrowed and she hissed softly, too softly for Mike to hear.

Her words, on the other hand, were just loud enough.

"I can hear you."

Edward raised his eyebrows slightly. "I know," he said, but the defensive edge to his voice made Tanya suspicious that he had, in fact forgot.

She rolled her eyes. "Walk with me, Mike," she said, taking a few steps back. "I haven't seen you in forever." She looped her arm through his and he jumped a little.

"Jesus, Bella you're…" He trailed off, and she frowned.

"I'm what?"

"Really enthusiasm for someone who's got me cornered for the next, what,

Then she was off, arm in arm with her old friend, leaving Tanya several yards behind with Edward. She glanced at the back of Bella's head and said softly, "How is he doing?"

"He's confused," Edward murmured back. "He's handling it very well, and he's anxious for an explanation, but he's keeping all of it in. He doesn't want you to think he's weak, that he can't handle it."

"What is he confused about?"

"Several things." He nodded toward his blonde brother, slightly ahead of Bella and Mike. "Jasper's keeping him calm, and Mike's mentally a little unsettled by how calm he's being. Starting to wonder if he's just taking it _too_ calm, but he can't get worried."

Tanya giggled. "What else?"

"Our appearances," he said. "He's noticing more that none of us have aged. He didn't notice it as much with you, because he's human—memories fade. But he was around us for years, and I look the same to him now as I did when I was a sophomore in high school. Same for Jasper and Alice. He feels it's either really good plastic surgery, or something else. He's not sure what we are, but he's starting to lean toward the spectrum of unknown. Did you see him jump a second ago, when he felt Bella's arm?" She nodded, and he continued, his lips barely moving. "He felt the cold. Being on those planes doesn't make us any warmer, and he registered how weird it was, that she matches you now when she never did before. He's confused, and wondering exactly how much he doesn't know about us."

"I see." She felt her heart drop a little. "Is he suspicious?"

"He's not leaving, Tanya," Edward said softly. "Alice can see that. It gets more solid every day. You just have to decide how to tell him."

"How should I do it?" She was desperate. "How did you tell Bella?"

Edward smiled wryly. "I didn't—she told me. She already knew."

"Right." _Unfair. Not all of us have the advantage of the supreme squealer, Jacob Black._

Edward chuckled. "True."

Tanya set her jaw as they turned to walk into the baggage claim.

It was going to be an interesting couple of days.

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The interior of Tanya's Lexus was silent. The muted light of the perpetual twilight of the Alaskan summer poured into the car, making the setting almost ethereal.

Bella's golden eyes were fixed on the road ahead of her. The light made her face look soft, and he was reminded of how she'd been as a human. The corners of her lips turned up as she felt his gaze.

_It's rude to stare._

Edward jumped a little in his seat, and then grinned. "Sorry," he said softly. He didn't avert his eyes.

_Seriously. I'm trying to concentrate on not jumping you again, and you're not helping._

Her seat shifted forward, then immediately back when Jasper kicked it slightly. He'd spent time already on the flight kicking her seat to try to distract her from whatever lustful thoughts that were frazzling him.

Edward glanced in the rear view mirror, satisfied that Mike was still slumped in his seat at the rear of the SUV, asleep. Tanya had mentioned silently that he'd spent a good chunk of the past three days sleeping. She wasn't sure why. At the moment, she was gazing at his face, thinking how young he looked when he slept, of how much she loved him…

Not wanting to worry her, Edward didn't let on how disturbed Mike had been over his behavior that night. He'd seen in Mike's mind other fights, shouting matches that had resulted in household items being thrown at him. While Edward didn't agree with abuse toward women by any means, he could see how Mike had been driven to strike her.

He could also see how much remorse he felt for the result, and it was enough that Edward could understand.

Alice was listening to her iPod, gazing out the window. She stared passively out at the Chuitna River as they passed over, and the glistening water sparked a vision.

_It was pitch dark, as only Alaska could be. The light from the auroras filled the night sky, not that it was needed by the vampires gathered at the glacier._

_At the very edge, at the top of the glacier, Tanya perched carefully, gazing down below her to where Emmett and Mike were paddling on surf boards._

"_Sucks we can't show this to Guinness," Mike called, grinning, the light making his amber eyes change tone. "This would blow their minds!" His face was boyish, the idea of surfing again clearly exciting to the Californian._

_Tanya laughed, the sound carefree, like tinkling bells. "Are you boys ready?"_

"_Hell yeah!" Emmett pumped his fist in the air._

"_Dude." Mike burst out laughing. "I can't believe we're seriously about to do this. This is fucking awesome!"_

"_This is still pretty stupid," Emmett said, making his face grave. "We could have some resurfacing issues if we get pinned by those bastards."_

_Mike nodded. "Could require some real skill to get out." He held out his fist to Emmett. "Let's do this."_

_They pounded fists, the sound, like boulders colliding, echoing off the glacier. There was the revving of an engine, and Mike and Emmett picked up the ropes that connected them to Rosalie's jet boat. She threw her head back, laughed, and shouted, "Let it rip, bitch!"_

_Tanya shifted so that she could move more quickly when the destruction began. Her grin turned wicked and she raised her fists, slamming them back down and causing house-sized chunks of glacier to tumble into the water below._

_Rosalie shot forward, and Mike and Emmett were tugged into position. The waves reached the pair, and they let go of the ropes, whooping and shouting as they surfed the waves from Tanya's glacial destruction…_

_A dripping Mike raced at superhuman speed toward Tanya, laughing as she squealed in protest at his arms wrapping around her. The freezing air was causing the water to freeze in Mike's hair, making it spikier than usual. He kissed her, and they stood under the lights for a minute before Rosalie's shouts of protest interrupted. Mike pulled away, lifting Tanya into his arms and holding her firmly._

"_Sorry, baby," he said as Emmett raced into view, laughing maniacally. Then, as one, both men threw their companions over the edge of the glacier. Their shrieks echoed all the way down until they slammed into the water._

_It was silent while the women were submerged until Emmett said, very quietly, "We better haul ass. They're gonna kill us."_

"_Right on." Mike laughed. "Bet I get there first." Then, before Emmett could respond, he was off, racing into the Alaskan wilderness._

Edward felt his mouth fighting to contain his laughter at the image of Rosalie's face, a mix of enraged and terrified as Emmett tossed her over the edge of a glacier. Alice's face mirrored his. Their laughter would certainly wake Mike, if it started…

Then Jasper giggled, and all hope was lost.

_a/n Leave me some lovin'! Can't get enough! Review and let me know what you think._

_Hope you enjoyed some alternate POV. I know I did. I saw something on TV about guys surfing glaciers in Alaska, and it's really dangerous. Naturally, these freaks would totally be into it. I thought of this story, and of how I could pull that off. I then decided Emmett had to be involved. I love him. He makes the world more fun._

_REVIEW!_


	11. Honesty

_a/n Welcome to the chapter in which there is a showdown. In one corner—Edward Cullen, mind reader. In the other—Mike Newton, antagonist._

_Enjoy._

_a/n 2 This chapter has been revamped. What happens when you get dragged into helping plan and prep for a baby shower? Lots of errors. Thanks to dazzleglo for calling them out! Without her, you'd probably think me a moron... :-)  
_

**CHAPTER 11-HONESTY **

Mike woke early the next morning to the familiar blanket of cloud cover in the sky, and for a brief moment, he thought everything had been a nightmare, and he'd wake up next to Tanya.

No such luck.

He sat up and looked around. He was in an unfamiliar room, and when he looked outside and down onto a large lake and scores of trees, he knew he hadn't dreamed anything.

The smell of coffee and bacon met his nostrils, and he rolled out of bed. He blinked down at the pajamas he didn't remember putting on—flannel pants and a gray t-shirt. They were a little tight, but a close enough fit, as if the owner were a little taller and…

A thought crossed his mind, and he made a mental note to ask exactly where these things had come from.

After locating a bathroom, Mike slowly made his way toward the smell of cooking food. As he went, he took note of the house—big, open, lots of hardwood. It reminded him of a ski lodge, especially with the windows facing down the hill.

He rounded a corner in time to find Bella standing in the middle of a huge kitchen. She smiled when she saw him, and gestured for him to sit.

"Coffee?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, sure," he said.

"How do you take it?"

"Black's fine." He reached for the steaming cup. "Wakes me up faster."

"I hope scrambled eggs are okay," she said, setting several dishes in front of him. "You probably haven't had a decent meal for days."

Mike laughed. "Not really, no. Lots of drive thru. This looks terrific."

His breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and fruit. She chattered at him for several minutes while he ate, talking about places she'd gone on summer vacations—Argentina, Brazil, England.

She laughed when he asked her if she was planning to eat breakfast, as well. "Tanya said she told you she doesn't eat?" Mike nodded around his mouthful of food. "Neither do I—not anymore."

Mike stopped chewing. She sat down across from him, cocking her head off to the side and smiling slightly.

"You have to chew before you swallow so you don't choke," she said.

He chewed, and she changed the subject again.

"So Tanya said you went back to California for school," she said, reaching over to refill his coffee. "Why didn't you go to Washington?"

"Because I could say I lived with relatives in California and go for their costs, and not have to walk around with soaked jeans for half of my life." He grinned. "And I can surf all year. Without hypothermia."

Her phone rang then, and she picked it up off the counter. An annoyed look crossed her face and she answered, not greeting her caller, simply saying, "Where the _hell_ are you guys?" There was a pause, and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, for God's sake, Edward. Sometimes it's like you're five." Another pause, and this time she laughed. "Whatever. Creeper." She glanced out the window, smiling. "Yes, I see."

He followed her gaze. _See what? Trees?_

"Whatever. I'm requesting Springsteen for sing-a-long tonight," she said, matter of factly. There was a pause, then she hung up the phone, looked out the open window, and smiled. "Hope you're comfortable out there, baby," she said, her voice raised only slightly. "You're gonna be there for a while, sounds like."

There was a roaring, then two four wheelers came racing up the long lawn. The riders were both tall, clearly male. Unless it was a chick with no tits.

Nope, two guys. One of them was Edward, and he had an odd look on his face, like he'd heard what his wife had just said. And not only heard, but believed. He trotted up the steps and into the house.

The other guy left his helmet on for a little too long, and Mike didn't get a good look at him until they entered the kitchen. He was about as tall as Edward, good looking with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. His eyes twinkled as he entered the kitchen. "So I see they couldn't talk you into the mass exodus?"

"Nope." She smiled. "I wanted to stay and pick on my buddy here."

The man's eyes, which matched those of Tanya, Edward, and, he now noticed, Bella's, twinkled. He held his hand out. "I'm Garrett," he said, grinning. "You've got to be Mike."

"Yeah." Mike clasped Garrett's hand in his. It was cold as ice, just like Tanya. "Good to meet you."

"Nice to have another guy around," he said. "It's just me and Eleazar and we're not a good match against three women." He smiled at Bella. "First time this kitchen's probably had men outnumbering the women."

"Not really," Edward said, coming around the corner. "We were a man up for a long time."

Bella stared at her husband for a long moment, and Edward stared back.

"Not fair," he muttered, and stalked away toward a corner, where there was an old desk with several charging phones resting on it. He picked one up and unplugged it before starting to fiddle with something. After a moment, he said, "Jake says they're going to stay down there for a while longer until we know what's what."

"That's fine," Bella said, starting to put dishes in the sink to be rinsed. "That's kind of what I was trying to talk him into doing. He's already pissed at me." She stopped, her hands holding a large pot that held gravy remnants in it. "Are you _sure_ she's okay with this?" she asked, her voice suddenly very intense.

Edward's voice was firm. "We talked about this. He's not _happy_ with it, but as informed as he is, he has to understand the risks if the situation is left as it is."

"Is this about Jessica?"

The question exploded from his mouth before he could stop it. He was terrified, underneath everything else. Terrified that he would get busted, and Tanya right along with him. Terrified of risking her family. What a first impression that was to make to them!

"No." It was Edward that answered, and his eyes were wide. "This has nothing to do with that. I'll explain it later, but I guarantee that nothing concerning the matter that brought you here so quickly will affect you at any time in the future."

_Details,_ he thought. He said, nothing though.

So it was a shock when he received an answer.

"Yes, details," Edward said, smiling. "She wants to explain it to me."

Mike blinked. "Huh?"

Edward smirked.

Mike stared. _What the fuck?_

"That's most people's first reaction, yes," Edward said, laughing.

_No way…_

Edward said nothing, but crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

_Do you know what I'm thinking?_

Edward nodded.

_Prove it. Say "big purple dildo."_

The reaction should have convinced him, but it only made him more skeptical. He wanted to hear the words. Edward spluttered. "Absolutely not!"

_Do it, or I won't believe you._ He stared off at a wall, wondering if he needed eye contact.

"No," Edward said, frowning. "And I'm not saying it."

_This is too funny. Say "big purple dildo" and I'll leave you alone. If you can _really_ hear me, and you're not reading my face, say "big purple dildo."_

A huff came from between his lips, and Bella frowned, glancing back and forth between them. "Edward?"

Edward muttered something.

"What was that? Those weren't words, they were mush."

"Big purple dildo," he said firmly.

There was a burst of laughter from the front of the house, and the slamming of a door. A moment later, Emmett Cullen entered the kitchen, laughing hysterically.

"You… said… big purple…" He was laughing so hard, he could barely speak. "Dildo! You said dildo!"

"Shut up, Emmett." Edward was clenching his teeth.

Mike could feel his face, a mask of shock. "Holy shit, that's for real."

If looks could kill, Mike would have died right there. "Yes. I hope you get a good laugh out of it later." They his eyes shot up, and he grimaced. "I didn't do anything."

Mike turned to see Tanya standing in the doorway.

Her eyes were bright, and she was glaring at Edward like Edward had glared at him. They stared at each other for a moment, then Edward simply said, "Yes."

She turned to Mike, putting a smile on her face. "Come on," she said. "You get changed, and we'll go for a walk."

"Okay." He stood up, smiling at Bella. "Thanks for breakfast."

Odd, how even though she was more radiant that ever, he felt _nothing_ toward her now.

"Thank God," Edward muttered, and Mike glanced over at him. Edward forced a smile. "Perhaps now you understand why I don't like you."

Then a horrible thought occurred to Mike, and Edward just smiled and nodded.

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"So…" Mike picked up a flat rock and skipped it across the surface of the lake. "I had an interesting breakfast."

"Edward ruins everything," Tanya muttered, crossing her arms. "He always has. He completely ruined the sixties for me."

Mike blinked. "You can't say shit like that and not expect me to ask questions."

She closed her eyes. "Ask whatever you like," she whispered.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Full disclosure?" he asked. "No 'details' crap?"

"No," she said. "No crap. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"How old are you?"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't know, exactly," she said softly. "I was born sometime around the turn of the last millennium."

Mike blinked. "The last _millennium_?" he asked. "Like, 1000 AD?"

"Yes."

He was very quiet for a while. She wondered what was going through his head. Then he asked another question.

"And the others?" he asked. "How old are they?"

"Kate is around my age," she said softly. "Eleazar is a few hundred years younger, perhaps, he doesn't really recall. Carmen is a little younger than him. Carlisle was born sometime in the 1640s—"

"Why don't any of them know exactly when?" Mike asked, confused.

"Time wasn't measured the same back then," Tanya said. "Unless you were the _tsar_ or some nobility, your dates weren't as well measured."

"Ah." He nodded, his face paling slightly.

"Jasper was born next," she said. "He was born in Texas in 1843. Then Esme, in the 90s of that year. Alice and Edward were both born around the turn of the century, and Emmett and Rosalie about fifteen years later."

"And Bella?"

Tanya smiled. "Bella's as old as you think she is—same age as you."

Mike let out a breath. "Well, at least that's one."

She suspected his next question, but when it came a few minutes later, she still didn't know exactly how to answer him.

"Why do you all look so young if you're so old?" he asked in a whisper.

Honesty.

Everything she had been told to this point was that Mike's future was clear, irregardless. There was no decision to tell her how to tell him.

Until now.

Honesty.

The absolute bane of her existence for the past few months.

The one thing that could finally get everything out of the way, so that they could move on to their glorious future together.

"I'm immortal," she said softly. "We all are."

Mike inhaled sharply, but he didn't look at her. "Were you born that way?"

"No," she said softly. "We were turned."

His heart was beating so fast. She wanted to go to him, hold him, console him. Make love to him until he couldn't think straight and had forgotten all about everything strange.

Instead, she sat on her rock, feeling her fingers tighten and the stone start to give way.

Another few minutes passed, and she realized that every time he got an answer, after his heart rate accelerated, he seemed to be taking the time to steel himself for each new question, and brace for the answer.

"Turned into what?"

She couldn't. Was it fear? She wasn't sure. She suddenly wished Jasper were here to control the mood, but at the same time, she didn't want anyone near this conversation. They were five miles out, far from any prying ears or minds.

"Tanya." Mike's head snapped to look at her. "Turned into what?"

Honesty.

Get it over with and move on. No more lies, no deception, no 'details.'

"Vampires," she whispered, staring into his eyes. "We were turned into vampires."

His face lost all color, and for a moment, she expected him to run. He didn't.

He looked terrified. It was the first time she'd seen the full extent of the fear Edward had alluded to.

Whatever she expected him to say, it wasn't what came out next.

The mask of terror coupled with his boyish face was reminiscent of a small child cowering in fear of finding out that monsters in the closet are real. It was appropriate that his voice only came out in a small whisper. "Are you lying?" he whispered.

He didn't believe her.

"The fear you feel right now?" She smiled bitterly. "It's your survival instincts telling you to run—that I'm dangerous." She clenched her fists and showed him handfuls of gravel. "I could kill you." She stood, feeling his eyes follow her, and held perfectly still for a moment before circling the lake once and ending to stand at his other side. He was still turned, his face shocked, looking at where she'd disappeared two seconds ago.

He turned to look at her, and his face was so disturbing she had to look away.

Had Edward and Alice been wrong? Would this make him leave?

And if he left her, would she have the strength to destroy him? She knew she wouldn't. Knew she'd have to break the laws she'd always upheld, or have someone else do it. The last thought terrified her.

Mike stared at her for a long time before he did something odd. He put his hand on her chest, splayed between her breasts, and concentrated.

"No heartbeat," he said quietly.

"We're dead," she whispered. "For all intents and purposes, in any case."

"No." His fingers clenched in her shirt.

No? What was he talking about?

It was poetic that the clouds chose that moment to open to allow a long, rich ray of sunshine through.

Her skin erupted into a million shards of diamond light, and he stared, his mouth hanging open.

They stood, staring at each other, for a long time. She was as mesmerized as he was, watching the way the sunlight played with his hair, making it look even more blonde. It brightened his already lit eyes and added color to his complexion.

Then, he spoke. His voice was quiet, and laced with pain. "What happens to me?" he asked, the scared little boy again. "I'll keep aging. I'll die eventually."

"I want you to stay," she muttered, burying her face in his shirt and inhaling the scent of flesh and blood. "I love you, and I want you to stay here, with me, forever. If you'll have me."

She was glad she couldn't see his face. "Give me a few days," he said softly. "Just to think. I just… have a few worries. Not about you, about me."

"What?"

"Just give me…" He paused. "Give me three days."

"I'll give you three years," she whispered, hugging him tighter. "Whatever you need."

He finally laughed. It was a nervous sound, but it healed her a little nevertheless. "Just three days."

"Three days, then," she agreed.

He took a few steps back away from her and stared at her. He seemed a little calmer. "I love you," he said softly.

She smiled up at him, hoping that the worst had passed.

"So, do you sparkle _everywhere_?" he asked, sliding his hands around her back and under her shirt.

It had.

She laughed. "Yes," she said mischievously. "Would you like to see?"

He nodded, and she stepped away.

Slowly, she stripped herself bare in front of him. She felt so exposed as his eyes covered every inch of her skin. She stood naked for several minutes before he finally moved, stepping closer and dropping to his knees. He pushed her knees apart with his hands, and his lips connected with the flesh of her belly.

He worshiped her like she was some bizarre, shining goddess, kissing every inch of flesh he could find. He lay her down on the thick grass, staring at her before resuming burning paths across her skin with his lips.

Finally, when she could take no more, he took her there, on the forest floor, beside the lake. It was bizarre.

It was fulfilling.

And she saw, for the first time, the possibilities of exactly how wonderful eternity could really be.

_a/n Yeah, I end sentences with prepositions. I'm from the Midwest—cut me some slack. I will fight you with my brain. I will win._

_We're running out of chapters, kids. Three more plus an epi. Enjoy._

_REVIEW! YOU WANT TO!_


	12. Just a Little Bit Longer

_a/n WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MAY CAUSE CRAVINGS FOR KFC OR POPEYES. DO NOT SAY YOU WERNE'T FOREWARNED._

_There is now an outtake posted. From when Bedward was en route to Alaska. On the plane. Gettin' jiggy wit it. It's simply entitled "Flying." Go look. There's some steam.  
_

**CHAPTER 12—JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER **

The house was fairly quiet. Mike wandered around, not sure what to do with himself, and explored while Tanya was off, spending much needed time with her family. He found his way into a library full of books in a myriad of languages. There were lots that were in Russian and Spanish. He'd met the rest of her family, and assumed that the Spanish books belonged to Carmen or Eleazer.

Eleazer, who always gave him an odd, almost amused, look. Strange guy.

He found an old photo album and flipped through.

That was what he was doing when the door to the library opened.

Bella peered around the door frame. "Hey, friend," she said cheerfully, waving. "Wacha got?"

Bella had kept him grounded for the last three days. His sudden thrust into the world of the supernatural was one she could relate to, having gone through it several years before. She understood his current state of mind, and gave him someone to talk to.

Now, he smiled at her. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that he was sure were designer brands, and she nearly glowed in the twilight of the late evening. Even as beautiful as she was now, though, she paled in comparison to Tanya. It was like she held no more desire for him, in any way other than friendship.

He held up the photo album. "You seen this?"

She was next to him on the couch a split second later, and he blinked. "It's still weird you don't fall down," he said, shaking his head.

She laughed, the sound higher than before. "I know. I'm still not used to it." She peered at the album in his lap and burst into laughter. "Oh, my God," she giggled. "What is he wearing?"

"I have no idea," Mike said, shaking his head. "Says _1942, Argentina._ Wonder what they were up to?"

"Draft dodging." The only other person in the house, Edward, had stopped in the door. "And helping out a few local gouchos. Killed some time."

"Draft dodging?" Mike frowned, confused.

"World War II," he said. "Argentina stayed neutral for most of the war, until the end. It was the perfect hideout. And of course, later on, quite a few Nazis found out the same thing. Carlisle couldn't stand it anymore, and we decided it was safe to go home."

"Wow." Bella blinked, seeming as dumfounded as Mike.

_What the hell do you say to that?_

Edward smiled and tapped his head before turning to his wife. "I got what you asked for." The smile was suddenly a little strained. "I stole it from a hospital. It's medical." He threw her a rolled up paper bag.

Bella grinned. "Thanks, baby." She blew him a kiss, and he stalked off into the hall. When he was gone, she stuck her tongue out.

"He'll still know," Mike said, mimicking Edward's earlier motion and tapping his head.

"Nope." Bella grinned. She tapped her own head. "I have a shield."

"Yeah, for yourself. Not me." Her smile turned coy. "Right?"

"For me, yes," she said, a full smirk crossing her face. She looked like a glorious version of the Cheshire cat. "And for anyone else in my immediate vicinity I chose to shield, as well."

Mike blinked. Seriously, like he wasn't mind blown enough already. He told her as much, and she laughed delightedly. "That's the idea." She held out the bag. "Alice and Jasper will be here later, and he's funny when he gets buzzed from other people's high."

"Huh?" He unrolled the bag, then shoved it in his face to inhale. His eyes rolled back in his head. "Oh, you're a good friend. A _real_ good friend."

"I figured you could use it."

"And he said this was medical?" He laughed. "I'm so happy right now."

Two hours later, Mike was lying with his feet over the back of the couch, his head dangling while he watched _Office Space_. Peter Gibbons had just knocked down the wall to his cubical and was kicking back. Mike laughed hysterically while the Geto Boys sang their song about gangsters. He heard a door open, and the smell of fried chicken filled his nostrils as Jasper Hale rounded the corner, his eyes wide.

"Alice said to bring him his dinner," he said.

Mike had always been terrified of the silent Cullen, stoic and living in the background. Cool, but with that hint of something unsettling just below the surface.

So when Jasper Hale burst into hysterical giggles and handed off the chicken to Bella so that he could clutch his sides, Mike found it really funny.

Jasper seemed to have something to say, but he seemed unable to speak clearly.

"Dude," he choked out. "You're ripped!"

Mike's laughter doubled and he rolled off the couch, over onto his back on the floor. It was strange, but delightful. It felt like the more Jasper laughed, the funnier the whole thing got.

Then Bella started to get the giggles. Trying to contain herself, she kicked her brother in the back. "Stop it," she managed. "You're making it worse!"

"It's your fault!" Jasper looked like he would have been crying. Bella had explained to him that vampires did not cry tears. "You got him stoned!" He burst into the worst fit of giggles yet before managing to spit out, "But it's funny as shit!"

Mike managed to calm down enough to realize that the fried chicken smelled amazing. Bella was making an extremely disgusted face at the smell. She'd explained the food thing to him. Weird, to think that this wouldn't taste good after…

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jasper said. "I forgot you really hate the smell of fried chicken."

She handed the bucket off to him so that he could hand it down to Mike. "It reminds me of vomit."

"Fried chicken?" Mike took a big bite of a drum stick. Jasper was calming down, and was just occasionally shuddering now. "It smells amazing."

She shook her head, her nose scrunching. "It was the first thing I puked up when I was pregnant."

Mike promptly choked on his chicken. _This _was news. "You were pregnant?"

A huge grin crossed her face. She went from disgusted to glowing in an instant. "Yes, and I have a beautiful daughter." Her eyes twinkled. "I think you met my 'niece'?" She used air quotes.

Mike thought for a moment, and the conclusion shocked him. "The girl that was at the house when I picked Tanya up for our first date." It wasn't a question.

Bella's grin widened, and Jasper was smiling, too. Shocker. Dude was a blob of happy. "Yes," she said. "She's four years old. Thinks she knows everything."

Mike blinked. "Confused," he stated.

"She's half vampire," Jasper explained. "She's Edward's. Bella had her as a human."

"She broke several of my ribs, made me black and blue all over, fractured my pelvis, and broke my spine in the end, but she's amazing." Bella was still smiling. "There's another album up there with a million baby pictures Alice and Rose took. They got to play dress up with her every day. But I got to tuck her in every night." She was smug.

"She broke your spine?"

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "It was a violent birth."

"Sounds like." Mike thought back for a moment. "She looks a lot like Edward."

"My eyes, though," Bella said. "And she's got my dad's curly hair. It's so cute!"

Mike frowned down at his chicken. "Tanya said something once about not being able to have kids. Is she the only one?"

Bella shook her. "Vampire women can't bear children," she explained, and it sounded like this was a speech she was used to giving. It seemed rehearsed. "Their bodies don't allow for the necessary change. But men don't have to change anything, human or vampire. So if you have a changing human female and a male vampire that doesn't need to change, you can wind up with a little half and half baby."

Mike took another bite of his chicken and nodded, like he heard this shit every day. Then he was curious. "So, since she's four, I guess she ages fast." Then he thought of where the question might end up and shut his mouth.

Again, it seemed rehearsed. She smiled gently. "She'll stop aging when she's around seven."

"How do you know?"

"There's a few others out there." She frowned. "They're a little less fortunate than she is."

"But they've all stopped aging?"

Jasper laughed. "Nahuel's almost as old as I am, and he still looks the same."

"How old are you?"

"One hundred and fifty seven." He grinned.

"Huh." Mike took another bite of chicken.

Jasper sighed as he watched Mike eat. "I used to love fried chicken," he sighed. "Anything fried. Fried okra was good, too."

"Ew," Bella said. "Okra is disgusting."

"Oh, darlin,'" he said, laughing, "it was my mother's specialty."

Mike frowned, polishing off his third piece of chicken. "Where'd she say you're from?"

"Texas." He grinned and puffed up his chest a little. "Southern boy, born and raised."

"Fighting for the losing team," Bella said, grinning, "and still in denial."

Jasper scowled. "It was, and still is, a pride issue."

"And it was, and still is, a pride issue up here." She grinned. "Proud we kicked your asses."

Jasper's face looked a little hurt. "You're mean," he said.

"Big scary soldier boy," Bella giggled. "You look so—"

Jasper was off the floor and had his little sister in a headlock with his fist rubbing her head. She squealed and tried to kick him off, but he really had a good hold on her. It was pretty impressive.

"Stop it!" she squealed, squirming and trying to get away from him. She kicked as best she could, and somehow got her foot loose. Mike watched, knowing where this could well lead, as Jasper tried to get her foot back. He missed grabbing it by a centimeter, and it swung back and connected with a crack against his crotch.

Mike half expected the vampire to show no pain.

Instead, he proved that men were men and let go, crumpling into a ball on the couch. "Bitch," he gasped, holding himself and rolling back and forth. "Oh, Jesus! Fuck, that hurt!"

For some reason, this was funny, too.

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Tanya didn't feel much better after hunting. She'd hunted yesterday, and the day before. She felt full and satisfied, but her stomach was still churning. Mike had told her last night he needed one more day. He just wanted to sleep on it one more night. She'd left this morning to give him time to think, leaving him with his confidant.

It made her jealous that Bella could be something for him that she couldn't be. She understood—Edward had explained everything to her. It wasn't a romantic connection. She just related to him in a way none of the rest of them could. None of them had been given a chance to be weaned into the vampire lifestyle except Bella, which gave her an advantage.

And she now knew something that Mike didn't.

Upon meeting Tanya's new beau, the rest of the family had been quite curious to see what it was about him that lured her to him. They noted his humor, his easygoing manner. Carmen had compared them to Emmett and Rosalie—the beauty queen with her carefree, honest partner who considered her looks an added bonus. Kate had agreed, but added that there was something very alluring about him. And Eleazer, amused, had simply commented that he was a very charming man, in the same way that Tanya was a very charming woman. He would hold off on calling him a succubus until he was changed, but it was defiantly on Eleazar's mind.

"It would make sense, really," he'd said. "No one's tamed you thus far. Maybe that's what you were waiting for."

So now, she was running back to the house where she'd left him alone with Bella and Edward while they waited for Alice and Jasper to get in from their two days of hunting.

When she stepped in the front door, she followed the sounds of laughter from upstairs.

They were in the library. It appeared that they had been watching a movie, but it was abandoned. Mike had polished off half a bucket of fried chicken and was rolling on the floor, clutching his sides. Edward was shaking his head, grinning, while Bella apologized over and over for something. Alice, who had entered behind Tanya, perched herself on the edge of the couch next to her husband.

"That's what happens when you don't hold on tight," she said, shaking her head. "Take notes, Mike. You may be stronger, but you'll still have a few vulnerable spots."

Mike's laughter doubled, tears running down his face.

Tanya frowned. "What happened?"

Mike spluttered, trying to speak. "She…" He dissolved into snorts again. "She got him right in the nuts!" His laughter took over again.

Behind the couch, Edward chuckled at Tanya's perplexed confusion. Then she realized what was going on.

"I can't believe you actually went and stole marijuana of all things," Tanya said, rolling her eyes. "You could have just bought some."

"This was easier than finding a drug dealer," he said wryly. "And less frustrating."

Mike had tears running down his face now. He had lost all ability to speak, and he slowly climbed to his feet, still hysterical. He made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling his shaking body to hers. He stopped laughing enough to give her a kiss, and she smiled up at him, taking his hand in hers and leading him out of the room.

He was still chuckling when he led her into her vast bedroom, closing the door behind them. She wrapped her arms around his waist, missing the feel of him pressed against her. He chuckled when she nuzzled into his chest, inhaling.

"Miss me?" he asked.

"Mmmmm." She inhaled again. "Yes. Twelve hours is too long."

"I agree." His blue eyes sparkled as he grasped her hips, steering her back toward the bed. "I missed you more than I should for twelve hours."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." His lips found her ear and tortured it with kisses and nips. Tanya could feel her eyes rolling in her head. He thrust his hips against hers, and she could feel just how much he'd missed her.

Maybe… Maybe it was enough. Maybe he'd decide…

She didn't realize that, while he was kissing her, she'd become really and truly distracted. He pulled back, frowning. "Baby?"

"Sorry." She'd never had this problem, and she smiled at him, twining her fingers in his hair. "I was thinking."

"About what?" He looked a little concerned.

Why was this suddenly so difficult? _Because he could say no. Your psycho family might have scared him off._ The words popped out without her being able to stop them. "If you don't like my family, we can move." Mike burst out laughing. He rolled onto his back, the hysterics from earlier returning. She rolled her eyes. "You're so stoned."

He finally calmed enough to say, "Do you know why I wanted to get stoned today?" She shrugged. "Bella mentioned something to me the other day—I'll never be able to get inebriated again. So I'm going to spend the next few days stoned, then I'm going to get really drunk, then both, then maybe do something really crazy."

She blinked. "Why?"

His face softened, and he took hers in his hands. "Because I want to enjoy it as long as I can, which probably won't be much longer." He brushed her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'd like to stay, if you still want me to."

_Stay._ He wanted to stay with her. "What did you have to think so hard about?"

Mike sighed heavily and sat up. "Forever's a long time," he said quietly. "I was afraid you'd get tired of me. I'm not as exciting as you."

Tanya laughed. "Darling, you're the best thing in my life. And I could never get tired of you."

Mike nodded. "I know," he said, and he didn't sound smug or appeasing. "I talked to Bella about that, too. She said vampires don't change often or easily, and that includes changing their minds." He smiled. "And when I say I talked to her about it, I mean she pried it out of me like a vulture."

Tanya burst out laughing. "I love her more every day," she said, smiling. "She's such a darling."

"She's a good friend," he said. "That was the other thing. It's not like I'm going into this blind. She told me everything. Including," he said, and now he looked confused, "to avoid morphine, because it won't work. What's that about?"

In the library, Tanya heard Edward hiss, and she could see Bella's guilty face in her mind's eye. Oh, dear.

"When she was turned, Edward had so much morphine in her system he thought it would get rid of the pain." She grimaced. "It must not have worked."

"And I get to find out now," she heard Edward mutter.

"I didn't think we'd ever need to turn somebody again," Bella shot back. "You've kept things from me before."

"Not things like this!" Their voices were rising, and Mike could hear them now, too. He looked curious. "Were you in pain?"

"I would have been anyway!" Bella yelled.

"Oh, God," Tanya muttered.

"What?"

She smiled sardonically. "They're passionate lovers," she said. "And now that they're equals, they're very passionate fighters. Both of them, tempers like dynamite."

"We do not fight all the time!" Bella yelled.

Tanya rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying that," she said, and she grinned. "Just that it's a little explosive. You should see their bedroom furniture after their make-up sex. It's demolished."

The front door slammed, then, after a few seconds, it slammed again. There was a chuckle. Jasper.

Mike looked at the door. "Did they leave?"

"Probably." She laughed. "They like to fight outside. I've had to hear it before. It'll start turning sexual in about five minutes, and you might see some of the trees move."

Mike was quiet for a second. Then…

He was trying not to laugh again.

"It's not funny," he said, trying to hold it back.

"But it's so true," Jasper called, then burst out laughing, taking a still-stoned Mike down with him.

_a/n Yay! Love! Leave me some!_

_To those of you in the Midwest: Are you done with the wind yet? 'Cause this shit's ridiculous. Hope everyone's okay, no tornadoes hit your house and you can still read this because your internet hasn't been knocked out._

_Go read "Flying." And review. Because I have over three hundred hits and no reviews. Do it. Goddammit, go! Why are you still reading this? Haven't you even left me a review yet? Grilled cheesus... *shakes head in mock disappointment*  
_


	13. Decision

_a/n Hope you enjoy this one! There's light fluff toward the end._

_Not mine._

**CHAPTER 13—DECISION **

Mike sat on the front porch of Tanya's house watching the sun move across the horizon. It was unsettling.

"Wait until winter." Across the porch, Edward Cullen glittered softly in the dimming, but ever present, glow. "It's so strange."

Mike nodded, and they lapsed into silence again.

Mike had come to understand Edward a little better over the past week, and while he still wasn't the guy's biggest fan, he didn't mind him as much. He certainly had a bit of a stiff attitude, but he was from a different time. He was an Edwardian gentleman, educated in etiquette and honor. To him, women were to be respected and protected—something his new millennium wife teased him about. But while he was often stiff and formal, with his interests in the arts and literature, he was also just a teenaged boy. It was clear that while he honored his wife and respected her, he also had a healthy respect for staring at her ass.

And to top off all that old fashioned goodness, he was respectful, as much as he could be, to the private thoughts of those around him, not commenting on a lot of what he heard.

As of late, Mike had been having a lot of those private thoughts. He was suspicious that Jasper, the mood man, suspected something. He'd returned, for the most part, to his stoic self, frowning when unexpected waves of guilt went from Mike into him.

"Don't feel guilty," Edward said quietly.

"Huh?"

"About Jessica." He was awkwardly scuffing his shoes against the porch. "You shouldn't feel guilty. It wasn't your fault."

Mike laughed bitterly. _So much for no comments._ "Right."

"Did you mean to do it?"

"No."

Edward's feet stopped. "Then don't feel guilty. You didn't mean to, and feeling guilty won't change anything. It only makes you miserable."

"Voice of experience?" 

Edward glanced up and smiled slightly. "I suppose so, yes."

Mike sighed and ran his hands wearily over his face. "Maybe I should have just left that afternoon. Packed up and not come home from work."

"Maybe," Edward said, and his voice was bitter. For what reason, Mike wasn't sure, and this thought registered with Edward. He gave a laugh as bitter as his voice, and said, "Maybe she shouldn't have let herself go so much."

Mike frowned. "What do you mean?"

Edward sighed and kicked his feet out in front of him. "I'm not trying to make you feel better or worse," he said, holding up his hands. "And you should know I don't frequently share people's personal thoughts and memories, but I feel that you should know."

And with that, he stood up and walked inside. He came back a few seconds later with an envelope in his hands. He held it out. "Tanya doesn't realize I have this. She's barely thought about it, and never consciously."

"What is it?"

"Photos," he said quietly. "Tanya hired my lawyer to have pictures taken of Jessica."

Somehow, Mike knew that whatever was in this envelope would, without justifying his actions, make them seem less reprehensible. So, he opened the photos.

"We thought it was a boyfriend or something," Edward said quietly. "I went to the house for her one night, to listen from outside."

Mike didn't need to know what he'd heard. He recognized the house from a year ago. It was a place he'd driven Jessica, on their way to Seattle for the weekend. She'd gone inside and come back, laughing and holding a little baggie with white powder inside.

"I've always wanted to try it," she'd said. "I think this weekend would be perfect."

So they'd gone to Seattle to see Tyler and some girl he was sleeping with to go to some psychedelic club. And it had been fun, but Mike had vowed never to try the stuff again. It made him jumpy and paranoid, and he'd come down hard, crashing and becoming sick before finally passing out twelve hours later.

Jessica had loved it.

There was only one reason she would still be going there. It was probably the reason for a lot of things.

"Tanya could smell it in her system the night she died," Edward said softly, hearing all of Mike's thoughts, and seeing the memories. Watching as Mike flipped through a mental list of her behaviors over the past year, thinking about how her attitude had changed from that of a carefree, if a little selfish, teenage girl, to a perpetually angry and suspicious woman. Except that this time, her suspicions had been dead on. Edward was still talking. "She'd been going a lot—twice, or three times a week. She must have gotten hooked hard and fast. I sat outside your house one night while you were out, when she decided to clean and did line after line of coke. By the time she was done, she'd cleaned the house top to bottom and baked five kinds of cookies to take to work. She stayed up all night waiting for you to come home, and when you didn't, she did another line and went to work."

Mike blinked. "Nobody knew she was fucked up? She works in a police station."

"Nobody ever knew," he said quietly. "She said she was having problems at home and was trying out various anti-depressants that weren't working."

"What a fucking liar," he said, laughing bitterly. "If she took prescriptions, they weren't for depression, and they weren't prescribed."

Edward blinked, looking a little surprised. "Valium?"

"Since sophomore year of college," he said. "I guess I should have known better than to let a pill addict try cocaine."

"She made the decision to keep going without you," Edward said. "Stop feeling guilty."

"Eventually." Mike handed the photos back to Edward. He never wanted to see them again—never wanted to remember.

"I'll burn them," Edward said quietly. "And you'll forget eventually. It's easy to forget your human life."

"I hope so." Mike blinked, wanting to change the subject. "Let's get started on that now, then. You're supposed to be explaining what's going to happen to me."

Edward frowned. "Right. What are your questions?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes." Edward's frown deepened. "You'll be in excruciating pain for around three days. Your body will feel like it's on fire. Your systems will change their chemical structure. Your heart will speed up right before it stops. And when your heart stops, it's over. You wake up and see the world for the first time." He sighed heavily. "There's nothing that can be done to stop the pain. We tried morphine on Emmett, but it wasn't fast enough. We got it into Bella's system, and it backfired." Edward's golden eyes closed, and his face was etched with pain and grief. "She couldn't move for two days. Couldn't speak. I couldn't even tell if she was going to make it, she was so still."

The porch door opened and closed, and before his eyes could see where she'd come from, Bella was sitting next to her husband. "You're leaving out day three." She smiled, taking his hand. "I could have moved, but I didn't want to scare you."

"Right. Self righteously burning at the stake," Edward said dryly, but a small smile was tugging at his lips.

"Taking Rosalie's advice," she retorted.

"What advice was that?" Mike asked, curiously.

"She said it never does any good to scream."

Mike blinked. He recalled something Tanya had told him—that Carlisle Cullen had changed each of his family under extreme circumstances of near death. He wondered vaguely what Rosalie's state had been, and as vaguely about the others.

"She'll tell you in good time," Edward said sharply, and his eyes were narrowed. "When she feels ready."

"Huh?"

"Rosalie. She'll tell you her story when she wants to tell you." Edward's voice had an edge of something. Protectiveness? "She's my sister," Edward said, his tone softening. "I don't like to cause her pain."

"Usually," Bella interjected, grinning.

"The thorough wrapping of her car in bubble wrap and three kinds of tape was Jacob's idea, and caused her no injury that she wasn't over in an hour." Edward's face had relaxed. "But as far as her past goes, I don't like to bring it up to her if I don't have to. I get to rewatch it with her every time." He cringed.

"And the others?"

"Ask Emmett sometime why he likes grizzly bears so much." Edward grinned. "Esme fell from a cliff and was almost dead when they brought her to the morgue."

Mike blinked. "They took her straight to the morgue?"

"They thought she was dead," he explained. "Carlisle knew better."

"And you?"

"Edward had the flu," Bella said, deadpan. She seemed to be trying not to smile, and this seemed to annoy Edward. Her face took on a look of intense concentration, and Edward jumped a little, looking offended.

"Well, forgive me," he huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. "I honestly thought she was sick."

"She was embarrassed," Bella said, raising her eyebrows. "And your on-the-spot physical didn't help things." She turned to Mike. "Any time the baby sneezes or coughs, he freaks out, thinks she has the flu, and gives her a physical. He's a very paranoid father."

Edward didn't seem to be listening. He was staring intently at the house, and after a few seconds, the door opened. Tanya was holding out a phone to Bella. "It's Nessie. She wants to know if she can stay up past midnight."

"No," Edward said, but Bella was already on her feet and taking the phone.

"Hi, honey," she said, smiling. There was a tiny pause, then she asked, "Why do you need to stay up so late?"

Edward's eyes grew wide and he let out a whoop of glee, jumping off the couch.

Bella burst out laughing. "Well, if he promised, you better make him pull through. It's fine with me if it's fine with Charlie." Another pause, and a small smile crossed Bella's face. "Love you, too. Bye."

"Why'd she need to stay up late?" Tanya asked. "She sounded excited."

"The White Sox and the Mariners are tied and it's going into the sixteenth inning. She doesn't want to miss it."

Tanya shook her head. "Is that where Edward is?"

"Yep. Probably figures Chicago needs as much moral support now as they can get."

Mike blinked. "Why's he a White Sox fan?"

Tanya was deadpanned. "He was very sick," she said seriously. "A very ill boy, and it altered his brain and made him make strange decisions about life." She grinned at Mike and held out her hand. "Come inside."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and he took her hand and let her take him inside.

And man, did she take him inside.

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Tanya was sure that the sounds that were sure to be escaping from her bedroom were in no way polite. That being said, they were _trying_ to be quiet.

He just made it really difficult when he trailed just the tip of his tongue from her ankle to her ear. And once the squeals and soft cries started, there was no stopping them.

She didn't care. She loved this man, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to be sure he knew it. If anything, he seemed just as intent of showing her his feelings, taking his sweet time, whispering sweet nothings against her skin in a voice that was more a rush of warm breath than sound. His fingers drummed patterns on her skin while he stared at her. His blue eyes were bright with his desire for her.

It wasn't one sided, though, and she felt a stab of pride whenever a groan or a moan or her name escaped his lips. She gazed up from under her lashes when she took him in her mouth, loving the way his eyes rolled back in his head, and the way he grasped her hair firmly, using her for his own pleasure.

He finally took her, slow and leisurely. So tender and gentle, as if she were the breakable one. She got lost again, feeling herself drifting in a haze of pleasure.

His laughter brought her back, and she opened her eyes to see his bright blue eyes staring back at her, his cheeks flushed and his hair a mess. He was grinning from ear to ear, and she felt more in love with him at that moment than ever before.

"I love you," she whispered.

The huge grin softened, and he gazed down at her. "I love you, too," he whispered. Then he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he whispered, even more softly, "I want you to do it."

She took a shuddering breath and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Any minute, Carlisle and Esme would be here, and Carlisle would inject Mike with venom, cleanly and safely. She wouldn't have to take the risk.

But another thought occurred to her. Not all vampires had access to someone as controlled as Carlisle. And where many of them failed, she had more control. She'd been around human blood, and not succumbed.

But this was different. She would have to bite him—taste his blood.

But she _wanted_ to taste it. Wanted to know, before it was gone.

Her thoughts and decisions took place over the course of a second.

"Now?" she whispered.

Downstairs, she heard something shatter. A vase, maybe—Alice had been rearranging flowers. She heard Alice's voice whisper, "Edward!"

"Now," Mike whispered, nuzzling against her neck.

"I love you," she whispered, ignoring the sound of Jasper's hurried footsteps, racing out the front door. Probably going to find Carlisle.

"I love you, too," he whispered back, and he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. "I trust you."

As she pulled back her lips, she could hear footsteps as Edward and Alice raced up the stairs—to stop her, or to stand by, she wasn't sure. She didn't care.

His flesh gave way like butter to a hot knife. His blood pooled in her mouth, and he moaned deeply. She matched the sound, letting his hot, sweet blood, more delectable than any she'd tasted before, run down her throat.

Did she really have to change him?

A strong pair of hands wrapped around her waist, and she hissed and kicked as she was pulled away. Mike's eyes were closed, and his face was contorted in pain. Tanya struggled against her captor, hissing and biting. Edward hissed back at her, and the sight of his face brought her back to where she was and what she had just done.

Oh, God. Had she killed him?

She could hear Edward saying something about Carlisle, but she wasn't paying attention. Mike wasn't moving.

The front door opened downstairs, and a moment later, Carlisle was in the room.

He said her name gently, calmly. How could he be so calm?

"Tanya?" He stared into her eyes. "Look at me." She followed the command, staring desperately into her cousin's eyes for reassurance.

They were sparkling.

She wanted to ask.

Before she could open her mouth though, the screaming began and answered her question.

_a/n Review. That's how you get updates. Thanks!_


	14. Fire

_a/n I'd like to dedicate this chapter to several individuals. To TheUnderStudy, for sending a million reviews at once. To ScutioLover for not only reading it, but also adding another thirteen reviews. Glad I could keep you awake at night. And finally, to my dog, Ringo, who just doesn't understand that his mommy won't play with him because she has to write. I understand what the trash all over the hall is about._

_Enjoy._

**CHAPTER 14—FIRE **

Mike's screams of pain filled the room, and Tanya felt like she could throw up. Carlisle was checking him over, nodding, wincing from time to time when the screams turned into sobs. It was hard to listen to.

She felt Edward's hands still on her arms, and wondered why they were there. Then she felt her knees, and they were weak. She realized she had more or less collapsed and he was holding her up. He was watching Carlisle move around the bed.

The bedroom door opened and Bella stood there, frowning at her husband and Carlisle. "Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's just fine," Carlisle said. "I was trying to assertain how much blood he'd lost, but it wasn't too much." He glanced at Tanya and smiled slightly. "Nicely done."

"Out," Bella ordered. When no one moved, Bella's frown deepened. "Go to the hall. You can come back in a minute."

Edward half carried her to the edge of the bed, both of them wincing when another scream filled the air. It subsided into sobs of agony.

The door clicked. They must have left. Bella's face filled her vision and she was smiling slightly. She held up a pair of sweatpants, and Tanya realized that she was naked.

"Oh, my God," she moaned. "This is embarrassing."

Bella smiled slightly. "I don't think so," she said, helping Tanya step into the pants and pull them up. She handed her a shirt, no bra, and Tanya pulled it over her head. With Tanya dressed, Bella turned her attention to Mike.

Carlisle had covered him up to his waist with a sheet, but with the way he was twitching, that wouldn't last long. It would only get worse today and he would certainly kick them off. Mike shrieked in pain again when Bella lifted him slightly so Tanya could pull up a pair of boxers and gym shorts in one. When he was back on the bed, they stepped away.

The screams increased in volume and frequency, now, and Bella helped Tanya back to the bed so she could lay next to him.

She held his hand while he screamed, cried, begged for somebody, anybody, to kill him. Make it stop.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered, over and over. "I'm so sorry. I love you."

He moaned, the sound drawn out and filled with ache.

"Please kill me," he begged. His voice was harsh.

Tanya squeezed her eyes shut. She had done this to him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"Please." His voice was the whimper of a torture victim, begging for forgiveness. "Please just make it stop. Make it stop." A choked sob escaped his lips.

"I can't," she whispered. "I love you. I'm staying with you."

"Don't go," he begged. "Please don't go. Make it stop. Please."

"I'll be right here next to you," she whispered, feeling her throat close up.

He screamed again, a shriek louder than any of the others. A sob escaped from her lips as she whispered her love for him.

And she didn't move from his side for three days.

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Fire can be a funny thing. Not a liquid or a solid, but made of gasses and formed by combustion. A very chemical thing, and more complex that it seemed.

None of that mattered, though, when the fire touched your body. None of it mattered when you were burning.

It started at his neck. He had the feeling he'd been in a haze of blissful pleasure right before, and this had started in the middle of that. It was a rude awakening.

He'd wondered if he was dying, until the fire had started.

Then he stopped wondering about anything…

So much pain. His throat was raw and aching. He wanted water. Pools and lakes and oceans of cool water. Wanted to jump into them and cool his body.

He had a vision of a cold mountain lake, temperature nearly freezing, clear as day. He imagined swimming in it, feeling the cold on his arms and legs. Anything to alleviate the fire.

The fire that never got better.

In his mind, the cold lake turned into a lake of lava, and the lake consumed him.

Lakes…

_He was lying by a lake somewhere. There were trees. Next to him, sparkling in the afternoon sun, Tanya lay with her head resting on her outstretched arm. She wore a lazy smile, and her free hand toyed with the hairs on his chest…_

Tanya.

It was like going through some kind of memory overload vortex.

_He was on the front porch with Bella. She was saying something about screaming, and how she had managed not to scream for the three days she'd burned. But it wasn't a choice. She couldn't move for a day and a half because of the morphine…_

_Blood on a wall, and a faceless body falling to the floor._

_Tanya's eyes were wide as she moved on top of him, her mouth open, and she was screaming with pleasure…_

Screams echoed in his ears.

Scream, scream, scream. Burn, burn, burn.

_Burn, baby, burn! We don't need to water let the motherfucker burn!_

Fire licked his body, ate away at his skin and his organs. It was unbearable, but he didn't pass out. Couldn't. Had to feel ever lick, every cell in his being consumed.

Surely, hell had to be preferable to this.

Pain devoured him again. How long had he been on fire? He should be ash by now.

He heard screaming again. This time, he registered a pain in his throat with the scream. _He_ was screaming. Those horrible sounds were coming out of his mouth.

_Rosalie had given Bella advice about screaming. "She said it never does any good to scream."_

_Same room, same conversation. "Your body will feel like it's on fire."_

Oh, yeah. Fire in the hole.

He felt another scream coming, but this time, he managed to stop it. And in stopping it, he could hear other things.

His brain still focused on the burning, he listened to what he could hear. Voices.

"He's in a lot of pain," someone said softly. Very softly. Should he even be able to hear that? "But he's starting to come out of it. Just slowly."

"Did I mess up?" The whisper came from next to him, and he realized he could somehow feel that Tanya was lying next to him. Had she been here the whole time? How long had he been lying here?

"No," the first voice said softly. It was gentle and encouraging. "You did everything exactly right. It just feels like a long time waiting." While the man spoke, Mike registered that his voice was vaguely familiar, like he'd heard it a long time ago. It gave the indication that the speaker might be English—a hint of an accent pulled at the man's words. "Do you see how much quieter he's becoming?"

"Do you think he can hear me?"

Mike wanted to tell her that yes, he could hear her, and could she please talk to him and distract him, but when he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was a whimper of pain.

"Baby?" A hand rested on his arm. It was cool, but it didn't seem cool enough to be Tanya. "Can you hear me?" Her fingers wrapped around his and squeezed.

He fought back another scream and lightly squeezed back, shuddering in pain.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, and her lips brushed his ear. "I'm so sorry, my love. It will be over soon."

He whimpered again, still trying to hold back a scream.

She lay next to him, telling him about her life, her family, and it seemed anything she could think of. He listened to her sometimes, able to distract himself. Other times, he writhed in pain, unable to contain the spasms and cries of pain. He heard himself begging for death, and felt guilty when he heard her soft sobs.

The fire got worse. Wasn't he done, yet? How much more of him was left to burn?

Sometimes, other people would come and go. He heard Bella's soft voice, speaking to Tanya about him.

How much longer? All he wanted to know was how much longer. The other man had said soon. How soon?

Now? Please? The heat was getting worse. It wasn't stopping or even going away. Was this supposed to happen?

He imagined that it had to shock them, the sounds that came from his lips. It sounded, to him, like metal being ripped. Maybe that was the sound your throat made when it was on fire. Everything. Worse, now, harder to focus on anything else.

He felt he must look like a body-shaped pile of ash by now. The fire licked hotter and hotter.

He heard nothing but his own screams and the fire rushing in his ears for what felt like forever. Then he heard something strange.

His heart.

Were you supposed to hear your own heart beat?

Was is supposed to go that fast?

It was running like a helicopter now, beating faster and faster and faster. It felt like he might lift off.

The faster it went, the hotter it got. It finally became unbearable.

He felt his back arch, his face contort.

Then he collapsed onto the soft bed.

There was no sound. No heartbeat. No breathing, not even his. Because he wasn't breathing.

He was afraid to breathe. If he took a breath, would he scream again?

Then he noticed that the fire had abated. The only burning left behind was in his throat.

Burning in his throat…

"Mike?" It was the calm Englishman again. "Mike, can you hear me?"

"It's over," someone whispered. Another male. This voice much more recognizable. But from where?

Faces flashed in his mind. He finally put one with the voice. Red hair, and caramel eyes, just like Tanya's. Tanya's face flashed again before he could put the name with the face.

It was Edward. Edward read minds. He would know when it was over. And he said…

"Mike?" Tanya's voice was clearer than it had ever been before. He could feel her breath on his cheek, and it was warm. "Darling?" He felt her shift on the bed, and he could somehow feel through the way the bed moved that she was kneeling. "Open your eyes."

He flexed his fingers, and felt them slide into the mattress like warm knives into butter.

He took a breath, and scents took over. He could tell that, besides Tanya, there were four other vampires in the room. None of them were moving, but each had a distinct scent. Honeydew, sunshine, baked bread, leather, freesia, the ocean, firewood smoke…

Winter?

Tanya.

He opened his eyes to see her for the first time.

And behind Tanya, Bella took hold of her husband's hand, watching from behind Emmett and Carlisle. Alice had told her yesterday of a vision of Mike, a long time from now, laughing about something with her and Edward. It was simple, not really of any consequence, but it made her feel better that her friend would stay. One less person she had to lose.

And so she sat by and waited for this moment. The moment when his bright red eyes finally opened and saw the world like the rest of them.

_a/n I know this is short, and you're going to hate me, but it's the last "full" chapter. And by that, I mean it will gradually be followed by an epilogue and some future shots whenever I so feel the urge. So you'll still find love here. Just when I have time to make the love. Hmm… Make the love… Sounds like fun._

_I love reviews like a fat kid loves Krispy Kreme. Leave 'em. Lots of 'em._


	15. Epilogue

_a/n Last one, kids. Thanks for your patience._

_For your patience, I give you sex. Enjoy._

**EPILOGUE**

The house was enormous. The biggest, in fact, that Tanya could recall them ever purchasing. As the Mercedes pulled up in front, all four of them stared up in awe.

"So this is what twenty thousand square feet looks like," Esme said softly as they pulled up. A smile spread wide across her face.

According to Esme, it hadn't cost too much. It had been built by some local entrepreneur who had wanted to make a statement by building his home in complete isolation. Apparently, he'd been a bit crazy and had spent every last dime on the place, and had been forced to put his huge estate up for sale.

That had been twenty years ago. It turned out, no one wanted an estate where there were few roads, and the closest town was miles away. But it was beautiful, situated on a little traveled part of the Notekewin River. It had taken a trip down a terrible road, but it was completely worth it. A smile tugged at Tanya's lips as she watched the wheels spinning in Esme's head.

"Ready to be a Canadian again?" she asked.

Esme laughed. "It has been a while," she said, nodding her head. "Might be nice to be in a quieter country for a while."

Tanya reached out for a last hug. "Thanks for the company. We all need to take a road trip sometime."

"Absolutely."

Carlisle smiled warmly. "Travel safely," he ordered, hugging Tanya again. Then he turned to hold out a hand to Mike. They shook, smiling slightly. A few more comments were exchanged before Mike took her hand, ginning with excitement at the thought of their first trip alone since his transformation.

Mike's transformation had been interesting, to say the least. It had been two years since his eyes had opened, bright red and blazing with fear and confusion. They had immediately locked on hers, and he'd smiled at her.

Edward and Bella had vacated shortly after his transformation. Jacob could not come up, in case anything happened. Alice and Jasper went with them, Alice quietly promising to keep an eye on the future. All of them agreed it would be best to keep Jacob in the dark about any slip ups.

And were there slip ups.

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Within a month, Tanya was starting to doubt Mike would be able to adapt to a vegetarian lifestyle. His tally had racked up to five fatalities already. Fortunately, there had been a storm that had made hiker disappearance less concerning.

For five long months, he was too distractible for sex. He craved blood, and curbing his appetite was hard. His attention shifted, though, when he found her curled in a ball in her bed one night. She had been shaking with silent sobs, thinking she was alone in the house. Mike was hunting with Eleazar, the only one who seemed to be having any luck with him. She heard the door creak open softly behind her, and a split second later, a hand rested on her back.

"What's wrong?" There was fear in his voice. That was strange.

"I'm so lonely, it hurts," she choked out. Dry sobs wracked her whole body, getting worse and worse. Her heart ached for them, hoping that his distracted phase would soon be over. "You're never here, and when you are, you barely pay me any attention!"

He had frowned at her. "I pay attention to you all the time," he said slowly, confused. "Don't I?"

"Not really." She took a shuddering breath. "When you're here, your mind is elsewhere. All you think about is blood, and I know I should be more accepting, but you're hurting me. I'm selfish, and I want you to myself." She curled into his leg, clutching at the cotton of his slacks. "You won't lay with me anymore."

His frown deepened. "It hasn't been that long."

She'd been on her feet before she even thought about it, wheeling away from him. "Maybe it doesn't seem long to someone who is used to going without for lengths of time, but I'm not! I do _not_ wait for the attention of a man! I am not some useless thing to be used at your discretion!" She was suddenly seething. Part of her registered that this was dangerous, antagonizing him this way—he could snap and cause harm to her. But, as she said, she was not the type of woman who liked to sit and wait. She'd waited for five months—five months of watching his new, strong, oversexed-looking body, and not being able to touch. Nothing else interested her, but for him. He was lucky she loved him.

Instead of shouting back at her, Mike raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me you're pissed because you're not getting laid?"

It sounded silly put that way, but it was true.

He stepped closer to her, and his eyes, which were more yellow today, she noticed, than orange, sparkled with humor and desire. They stared straight into hers as she stood her ground while he rounded the bed, not stopping, but sliding his hands onto her hips and moving her irresistibly backward. Standing at his full height, he was a couple of inches taller than her. His hands were firm as they pushed her back against her closet door. When she could go back no more, he pressed his body against hers and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Would you like me to fuck you?" he asked quietly.

_Oh, sweet Jesus._

His voice dripped with lust, dropping and becoming husky. He was comfortable, pressed against him this way. His skin no longer gave beneath hers, and she was aroused by the knowledge that when he took her, she could finally love him with no restraints.

Well, maybe a few restraints. His hands were sliding down her arms now, and his strong fingers wrapped around her wrists. He pinned her hands over her head against the ebony door, and his tongue flicked out to taste her earlobe. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt as weak as she did now, completely submissive to him. Heat coursed through her, and she whimpered when he slouched slightly, pressing his face into her exposed cleavage. She'd forgotten what she'd been doing before this. She had made it as far as putting on underwear and jeans. The teal bustier was completely exposed to him, and she thanked whoever was listening for this.

His hips thrust into hers, and she cried out at the feeling. Wet and hot, his tongue trailed between her breasts, up her neck, and around the rim of her ear. She moaned wantonly, trying to press against him, but one of his hands still firmly restrained her. The feeling of the pressure against her made her whimper. His lips were at her ear again. "I asked you a question, darling. Would you like me to fuck you?"

"Yes." It game out with a gust of air she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "God, yes, please!"

He was so much faster now, so much stronger. He hoisted her easily into his arms, and her legs wrapped around his waist. His lips pressed eagerly against hers as he spun them into her walk-in, laying her on the first piece of furniture he could find. Her back pressed against more ebony—her dresser. Her dresser, which happened to stand at the level of his hips. He thrust against her again, his lips and tongue now tasting her neck.

She was so happy, she felt like she could sing. When he yanked off her jeans, the expression on his face made her laugh. His mouth fell open as he got a good look at her. Her legs were spread on either side of his knees, so he could see everything.

"What the hell were you wearing this for?" he asked.

"You," she admitted. "I've been wearing them every day for five months, hoping today would be the day."

"Holy fuck," he said, and he dropped to his knees. She laughed again—it looked like he was worshiping her. "I'm so sorry, baby," he said, and he removed his gaze from her crotch to smirk at her. "Can I make it up to you?"

He gave her no time to answer. His strong fingers snapped off the thong easily, and he quickly went to work between her legs. His tongue was everywhere, moving at superhuman speeds and managing to enhance his already skilled technique. She throbbed and ached to have him inside her, but he seemed bent on eating her thoroughly before doing anything else. His fingers attacked her, working her into a frenzy, dancing, darting in and out, and over and around.

Her first orgasm was powerful, coming from nowhere. She'd barely come down before he picked up his pace again. This time, his tongue pushed into her body, the strong muscle stimulating her insides in a wickedly delightful way. One of his hands, fingers still wet from being in her, moved to play with her nipples, tugging on them and pinching. The other hand moved to her ass, and for the second time, he slid two fingers into the tight entrance there. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she saw stars. This second orgasm was nothing like the first. It consumed her into a sea of white pleasure where all she could feel was the tugging on her breasts, his tongue fucking her, and his fingers curling inside her, hitting spots that forced screams from her lips. Squeals and moans of ecstasy fell, along with a slew of words that would embarrass a Russian submariner.

She had about ten seconds to come to when he pulled away from her. She managed to open her eyes in time to see him quickly remove his jeans, shoving them to the floor. His shirt quickly joined it, and he was completely naked behind over her. His eyes had not moved from between her legs once, and her mind flashed back to a memory of Eleazar, cautiously classifying her lover as an incubus.

He was as easily distracted by sex as she was, and he sent her to places she didn't know she could still see without even penetrating her. Oh, yes—an incubus, he was. She'd only met one other, and Joham was so unattractive to her that he barely qualified. Mike, however, was like the opposite pole of a magnet to her, drawing her in while she pulled him closer. And when they connected...

When she felt him against her a second later, her eyes rolled back into her head again. He was so close. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You _still_ want me to fuck you?" he asked, and she could hear the smile. "Or do you want it slow?"

"Fuck me," she begged. Oh, please. "Please, it's all I can think about!"

He stared down at her for half a second longer before hoisting her butt up a little, pulling her to the edge of the dresser. He stepped back, and she felt her eyes widen when he gave a small, dark chuckle as he closed her legs, grabbing her ankles with one hand. He pushed them up to her head, and she grinned up at him. His first time as an immortal, and he was already getting fancy. She was completely exposed to him, and it wasn't unnoticed by him. He pulled her butt up, bringing her to his lips. One more long lick was delivered to her before he lowered her again and thrust himself into her, bending over the dresser and slamming into her over and over.

"You should see yourself right now," he grunted as he hammered into her. She was squealing uncontrollably with every thrust now, and she barely heard him. "All done up in your garters, looking like such a lady, letting me rip your panties off so you can get fucked." His head fell back for a moment, then he leaned back, yanking her legs apart suddenly. He was deeper than he'd been before, and the unexpected intrusion was welcome. He still thrust into her as he shoved her feet behind her head again, this time leaving her legs spread wide for him. He fucked her backward so he could climb up onto the dresser with her for better leverage.

Then, if it were possible, he went wild. It was like nothing she had ever experienced. His hands supported her, which translated to massaging her asshole with his thumbs before, quick as a flash, he popped his thumb into his mouth and moistened it before sticking it back up her ass.

"Fuck," she moaned. "Harder—do it harder."

"You want it harder?" Mike laughed, and the sound was sinful. "You can have it harder, baby—you just have to take it."

They were on the bed, then, and she rode him, bouncing on him and landing hard every time. The wet sounds of their flesh moving together met her ears, and she looked down at where they were joined. His eyes followed hers, darkening again when he saw what she did. He was a little more endowed now than he had been as a human. His human size had been fine, but the little extra length and girth made her feel more filled than ever. Watching him disappear into her body again and again drove her mad with desire, and just as he had fucked her, she fucked him.

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"Babe?" His voice, like a teenage boy to his girlfriend, broke into her thoughts. "What's up?"

"Just thinking." They were racing through the wilderness now, side by side. She smiled at him. "Do you remember the day we broke my dresser?"

Mike froze in his tracks, eyes bright. She stopped a little ahead of him, laughing. He gave her a big, goofy grin and her laughs doubled. It was easy for him to tackle her into the foliage and pepper kisses all over her neck.

"I remember," he said between kisses. "You wanna do a recreation? There's a log over there we could use." His voice was teasing, but she knew if she said yes, he'd be in her state of mind in an instant.

But that wasn't what she wanted right now. Right now, she wanted him to simply love her. She smiled at him, leaning up to press a tender kiss to his lips. He kissed her back, inhaling deeply while he wrapped his arms around her. She allowed him to deepen their kiss, and she moaned softly into his mouth.

As much as she enjoyed his rough and demanding side, she could never get enough of this romantic, sensual side of him. He took his time with her, piece by piece removing her clothes and setting them aside. Every new piece of flesh he uncovered he kissed along, and it wasn't long before she was shaking underneath him. After two years together, he knew every trick to make her completely useless with need. When he finally slid inside her, after he had turned her into a pile of goo, he pressed his lips to her forehead before pressing his against hers. "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you," she whispered back, and her back arched off the green ground when his fingers gently brushed over her breasts, barely touching the tips.

After, she lay in his arms while they stared up at the night sky. They had landed in some little clearing, and the lights of the auroras were visible to them now. They made his skin glow in ethereal colors, and his eyes twinkled in their radiance. Mike's face wore his boyish smile as he gazed down at her. "So, how long you think it'll take us to get home?"

She giggled. "How far did we run?"

"Maybe twenty miles," he said, his mouth twisting a little more. "Just enough to be in the middle of nowhere, but not far." He reached for his jeans, pulling out his watch and laughing. "It's been four hours."

Tanya snorted and buried her face in Mike's chest as he burst out laughing, too.

This was right, she thought to herself, snuggling closer to him. This was what she had been missing—companionship. Now she was complete.

His hands were warm and soft as they caressed the skin of her back, his fingers lightly drumming from time to time, nonsense rhythms that lulled her to a state that reminded her vaguely of that feeling she would have as a child, trying not to fall asleep. She floated in her blissful silence for a while before he spoke.

"I say we plan another trip soon," he said. "I like this. It's _quiet_." He emphasized the last word with a roll of his eyes.

"No Kate and Garrett down the hall, trying to out sex us." A smirk pulled at Tanya's lips. They'd yet to pull that one off.

"No Carmen and Eleazer in the back of the car."

"That was disgusting."

"Yeah, right? They could have had the decency to at least leave the garage."

"We're not ones to talk, though," Tanya giggled. "We're as bad as they are."

"We're worse," Mike said, nuzzling his nose into the hollow of her throat. His lips brushed his skin as he spoke, and she could feel his smile. "You're such a damn screamer."

Tanya raised her eyebrows. "You're not so quiet, yourself." She pretended to look thoughtful. "You were really loud when I stuck that plug up your ass."

He raised his eyebrows right back. "You're really loud when I stick my dick up your ass, but you don't hear me calling you out on it." He grinned again. "I'm damn proud when you start screaming. The more detail, the better." A laugh escaped his lips. "If they don't like it, they can leave."

"We've got to stop talking about this," Tanya said, shaking her head. She rolled off to her side, reaching for her clothes. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he propped himself up on his elbow to watch her. She smiled a little to herself and made a show of stretching her arms over her head to pull the shirt down over her breasts. He didn't seem to mind this one bit. He grinned when she threw his clothes at him. "Get dressed," she ordered.

Ten minutes later, they were racing through the trees again. Maybe if they weren't home by dawn, they would stop again in some other secluded area to wait for night…

Eternity would be much more fun that way.

_a/n Hope you guys liked this! Sorry it took so long—I had to prepare myself mentally. Keep me on alert—this will possibly be updated from time to time when I get the urge to write some T/M. They're just so much fun to screw with… You know?_


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